Fire Rising
by Sorgens Kammer
Summary: Basically about the beginning of Zuko's reign as Fire Lord, with Iroh and Azula by his side. It's a Zutara fic, of course, but slightly different from most Zutaras out there. Starts off kinda slow, but gets better as the story progresses, I think...lol.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Although I once dreamt that I did.**

**Author's note:**

**This takes place at the end of the series, with Zuko becoming Fire Lord, and Aang and Ozai killing each other. Touching, I know. Oh, and it's Zutara. Because I will never be a Maiko fan. Damn that kiss in the trailer!!!**

**Prologue**

It was raining. That was the one thing that he remembered most of all…the rain falling from the sky, unto the ground and onto his face. The sky wept for him, for them…for all those who had lost and gained so much in just a few turbulent hours. The sky poured, as if to cleanse the earth of its many afflictions. As if all that was required was water to soothe the burns of the ground.

And pain. Pain was his friend, his only friend, his teacher in those hours of grief. Pain was his father, giving life to him, making him do what he knew he must, keeping him away from doing what he had wanted to do. Pain…and suffering. So much he wanted to do, and yet so much he had to do. So much that he could not do, no matter how much he wanted to.

They had taken the bodies away. And left some bodies behind, for him to deal with. Two bodies in particular would receive funerals attended by dignitaries from four nations. Two bodies, for two heroes. Two deaths, significant for their deeds in life, honoured for the ultimate sacrifices that they had made. Honoured…for dying.

His own father would receive a private funeral. Private, not a state funeral befitting for a man who had done so much in his lifetime. His death…celebrated, not in his son's presence, but everywhere else. Even in some quarters within his own kingdom. A quiet burial, attended by the three remaining members of his family. And several others…close friends. All from the Fire Nation. Because they had no friends anywhere else.

The Avatar…dead. Sokka of the Water Tribe…dead. Fire Lord Ozai…dead. The great bison…dead. All mourned the Avatar. Few mourned the Fire Lord.

But life goes on. And on it went.

* * *

The palace of the Fire Lord did not seem any different. The passing of its old master, and the ascendance of a new one, had little visible impact. Few servants thronged its hallways, as it always was. Few visitors came and went, as always. But the throne room was empty, the flames around the Throne of Fire extinguished. Cold, dark, empty…devoid of life. A far cry from the days where the ones who sat as masters of the throne plotted the deaths and sufferings of thousands, all in the name of expansion. All in the name of glory. 

Zuko stood by the window in his room, glancing outside at the palace grounds, and the city beyond it. Life hadn't changed much for the citizens of the Fire Nation. The Day of Black Sun had come and gone. No conquering armies occupied their homes. No curfews imposed by those who would have gladly done so. But there was a sense of melancholy around. A sense of loss, and a sense of relief. And a sense of fear for what the future might hold.

He wasn't afraid of invasion by vengeful nations. The Fire Nation's military superiority had not been diminished. They still held vast territory outside the boundaries of their own nation. No one would dare to challenge the Fire Nation outwardly. No one would do it, even if they dared to. The Avatar had told them not to. And they would listen to the words of a young boy. And they would respect his wishes.

The Prince of the Fire Nation sighed heavily, turning away. His room suddenly felt oppressive, and he resisted the urge to scream. Instead, he walked to the door, opened it, and left.

Walking the corridors was even worse. It was the walls, he thought to himself. Red, red, red all around him. Even the carpets were red. The curtains…everything! It reminded him of fire. It reminded him of blood. The blood of the many thousands that was on the back of the Fire Nation's expansion. The blood of the many thousands spilled by his family. The blood of the Avatar that stained the tiles of the arena, a testament to the sufferings caused by his nation, his people. His element.

The gardens were different. There was red here, but it was inter-dispersed with other colors. Blue, green, yellow…the flowers were in bloom. It would have been hard for an outsider to imagine that a place of such beauty could exist, and even flourish, in a place known only for the sufferings and torments it had imposed upon the world. There was a different warmth here, a warmth that came without anger or hatred or rage or fear. A warmth that did not burn, but embraced and caressed and comforted.

Zuko stood beside the stream that ran its way through the entire gardens. Clear water, blue in color. An embodiment of the tranquility of the garden. Water to heal his soul.

"I knew that you would be here."

The Prince of the Fire Nation did not turn, but his entire manner changed. More alert, no longer relaxed. Tense. "I felt the need to take a walk," he replied, and only then did he turn, to gaze into the face of his sister, Princess of the Fire Nation.

Azula did not smile, but she did approach him to glance at the stream. He waited, but she did not appear to want to speak any time soon. So he joined her in gazing at the waters, their reflections clearly visible on the blue surface.

"Where's uncle?" she asked, but her voice lacked the biting sarcasm or malice that had been such an integral part of her entire bearing for the last several years. Her voice was now…tired.

"I don't know," he replied. "He said he had some business to take care of, outside the palace." Zuko ran his hand through his hair, out of the need to do something more than anything else. "You did not join us for breakfast."

"I…," she trailed off, and he did not push the issue. He was beginning to relax, ever so slightly. The animosity between them was still there, but it had mellowed down. He did not trust her, but, for some reason, he did not really care if she wanted to betray him and take control of the Fire Nation for herself. He did not care about ruling any longer. Power no longer held any sway on him. At least…not now.

"What now, Zuko?" she asked, still keeping her gaze on the water. "I…don't know," he replied, no emotion in his voice. She glanced at him briefly, but he did not meet her eyes, and soon enough, her eyes returned to their steady contemplation of the stream.

And they stood there in silence, gazing at the water for what seemed to be an eternity, each of them lost in their own thoughts and memories, brother and sister for as long as they had been alive, but brotherly and sisterly for one of the few times in their lives.

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair. There was no feast, as there would be most of the time while their father was alive. No dancing girls, no musicians, no generals with the grim talk of war, just the quiet shuffling of the servants as they walked in and out, bearing the different dishes and plates. No guests. Just family. 

Two of them ate in silence, concentrating on their food alone. One ate noisily, his eyes alternating between his nephew and his niece. He maintained a careful silence, not wanting to do anything that would break the uneasy peace between him and Zuko, and Azula. The death of his brother had, unlikely as it would have seemed, brought the family together in a twisted parody of a family reconciled. There had been no hugs, no tears, no words or admittance of love. Just silence. And, for the time being, it suited him just fine.

But the silence could not go on forever. Because they were royalty, and were thus burdened with the responsibilities that came with it. The responsibilities of ruling. The task of leading a nation that had just lost her Fire Lord. The current respite from responsibility could not go on forever, no matter how much he wanted it to.

But he would do what he had to do tomorrow. Let them have this night in peace.

Tomorrow was another day.

* * *

The coronation had been grand, a joyous festival after over a month of mourning. The appropriate time, too…the arrival of Sozin's comet coincided with it. Some said it was intentional, others said it was fated. Very few actually cared. 

But there were a number of people who observed that day, and the days thereafter, with considerable interest. There were, in fact, a vast majority of people who did that, with varying levels of interest. They all watched, and they all wondered the same thing.

What would Fire Lord Zuko do now?

Of course, there were those, a few of them, who wondered what the Princess of the Fire Nation would do. And they were all surprised at what she did.

She bowed.

To her brother.

To the Fire Lord.

How exactly he had brought her over to his side, no one knew, although there was immense speculation in the weeks after. Some wondered what role the Dragon of the West had played in this. Most wondered why she did not simply seize power, like they had expected her to do.

None of them had their questions answered.

The coronation was attended by many Fire Nation dignitaries, and very few dignitaries from the other nations. Katara of the Water Tribes was there, and with her Toph Bei Fong. And there were a few others as well, but not many. And, certainly in view of political importance, no one really important was present. They were all watching from afar. All waiting to see what would happen afterwards.

* * *

"She has left," Iroh said quietly, as he entered the Fire Lord's study. He glanced at his nephew, who was gazing out at the window. Gazing at the gardens, his face emotionless, unreadable…a mask of careful blankness. The Fire Lord made no indication that he had heard his uncle. 

The silence was deafening. The only sounds were the gentle rustle of the leaves outside, and the splashing of water as Iroh poured out two cups of tea.

"My situation is precarious, Uncle," Zuko said suddenly, and Iroh glanced up. His nephew was still standing by the window, still gazing outside. "There are few who would see themselves occupying the throne in my place."

"Indeed, my prince…no…Fire Lord. But that is to be expected, is it not?" Iroh replied, glancing quizzically at his nephew. Zuko was, he knew, volatile, capable of changing his mind without a moment's notice, without thinking things through. "What about it?" the old man continued, then took a long sip from his cup.

"I shall have to secure my position, Uncle." The tea suddenly did not taste as good as it should have tasted. Iroh placed the cup gently back on the table. "What do you mean, Zuko?" he asked carefully, his eyes steadily watching the young Fire Lord's every move.

Zuko paused, and for a moment, it did not seem as though he would answer his uncle's question. The young man seemed to slip into another reverie, lost in his thoughts once again. But when Iroh was about to repeat the question, he spoke.

"You once said that you would be at my side, no matter what." Zuko turned, and, for an instant, his eyes took on the pleading look of the young boy who had begged his uncle to let him into the war-room. The same eyes that led to the general agreeing to his request. A request which had, ultimately, led to Zuko's banishment. A request that had scarred him, permanently.

The scar…the last vestiges of a father's love for his son.

"Will you be at my side, Uncle…no matter what?"

* * *

The reign of Fire Lord Zuko was expected to bring about the retreat of the Fire Nation army back into its own territory. This was a belief that stayed alive until the Fire Lord's personal representative, the Fire Princess Azula's first speech to the assembled nobles and generals of the Fire Nation, a speech that would set the tone for his reign. A speech that was quoted, word for word, to the rulers of the other nations. A speech that did not bring the expected good news. 

"There will be no retreat. There will be no surrender."

The position of Fire Lord Zuko was cemented when his sister continued, with the same fire in her voice that had, for a while, been unheard. The same voice with which she had declared her brother's treachery only a few years ago.

"Anyone who dissents will answer to me."

And so began the reign of Zuko, son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai, Fire Lord of the Fire Nation.

And, perhaps, for the future is rife with possibilities, another title might be added. A title that would carry the words Emperor of the Four Nations.

And the Throne of Fire burned once more.

* * *

Author's note: 

Well, how was it? Hope you guys liked it. I'll try to update it as soon as possible, probably within the week or so. Any questions, feel free to ask me. Thanks for reading. This is my first fanfiction, because I've been reading so many lately and temptation to try it finally got me ensnared.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last Airbender. Because if I did, the Rough Rhinos would make an appearance just to sing.**

**Chapter 1 **

"You cannot possibly think that the other nations will simply sit back and allow you to continue to occupy their lands!" Iroh's voice was particularly loud, the distress in his tone obvious to all. The Dragon of the West, and newly reinstituted General, stood in his armour, gesturing as he spoke. Zuko glanced at the table, his eyes roaming the maps that laid uncovered on the polished wooden surface. Red lines marked the boundaries occupied by the Fire Nation. He stared at them, his eyes unseeing, his ears burning with his uncle's words.

"They will have no choice, Uncle," Azula said, sitting back in her chair as she smiled cynically at the old man. "The comet has arrived. No one would dare to challenge us now. They do not have the armies, nor do they have the supplies, to even think about mounting any attack at all."

"What of the territories conquered? The people will rebel! They have already tasted the hope that the Avatar had given them. They will not simply sit back and continue to accept our rule." Iroh glanced at his nephew, who continued his silent appraisal of the maps. Zuko gave no indication that he had heard anything, but Iroh knew that his nephew was aware of his every word.

"They will accept us, or they will die." Azula smiled chillingly, sitting up in her seat, placing her hands together, fingers interlocked.

"The other nations should be thankful that we have not advanced the fronts," Zuko said quietly, raising his eyes to look first at his uncle, and then at his sister. "We will continue to hold whatever territory we have conquered, and…" he hesitated, his gaze now focused solely on his uncle…"We will retake whatever territories that we have lost in recent times."

"Are you mad, Zuko? To do that would be an act of war!" Iroh exclaimed. Azula stifled a smile, but only barely. The look on the old man's face was strangely comical, or at least it seemed like that to her. To Zuko, however, there was nothing comical in his uncle's expression, and he lowered his eyes again.

"It is necessary, Uncle," Azula interjected, smiling slightly. "There are Fire Nation citizens in those cities, those…territories. Surely we cannot leave them to be ruled by the Earth Kingdom? The…prejudices…from the war…they will be ostracized. The Fire Lord, especially, one so new to the throne, cannot turn his back on his citizens when they need him the most."

"You would continue this war merely to bolster your position, nephew?" Iroh asked, addressing Zuko directly, his gaze never wavering, compelling Zuko to answer, no matter how much he did not want to.

"I will do what is best for the people. I will do what is required of a Fire Lord. We will not attack," Zuko said, "Unless there is no other option left to us."

"There is always another option to war, Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh replied. "I can only hope that you will see it before you act."

* * *

The throne room of the Fire Palace was a sight to behold in its full glory. The curtains of flame obscured the Fire Lord from view, allowing only his shadow to be seen. They rose and fell at his command, and at his command only. This fire obeyed only the Fire Lord, and no other. Not even the Avatar. Only the Fire Lord could manipulate the walls of flame that surrounded his throne. 

The flames cast a golden glow on the walls, and on the pillars of gold that stood on all four corners of the throne room. The tiled floor was warm to the touch, to the assembled people kneeling face down before the throne, the tiles felt uncomfortably hot.

The ambassador from the Earth Kingdom sat up first. He was the oldest, and the most experienced. And he knew the futility of this audience today. And he knew that he had to speak carefully, for he was well aware that Princess Azula was leaning nonchalantly on a pillar somewhere behind them.

"It has been almost a week, Fire Lord, since your coronation, and yet there has been no order for the Fire Nation soldiers to relinquish their posts in the Earth Kingdom. Not even in Ba Sing Sei. My king is concerned, and wishes me to convey his dismay at this situation." He fell silent, watching the flames warily. It was said that one could gauge the mood of the Fire Lord by watching the flames. If they rose, you were in trouble.

For some reason, there had been no provision for a situation in which the flames lessened.

It was, in retrospect, something inevitable. Indeed, how could it not have been predicted? The death of Fire Lord Ozai had been widely expected to usher in a new period of prosperity, and peace. And, most importantly, it had been seen as a sign that freedom, or rather, independence, was finally here.

And then the new Fire Lord took the throne. And, within two weeks of his coronation, the presence of Fire Nation soldiers in the Earth Kingdom became far more noticeable. Far less subtle…more oppressive. Perhaps it was the fact that Sozin's comet had finally approached, and with it came the change in the general atmosphere. Demoralization, a certain effect of the death of any leader, gave way to a new type of arrogance…an arrogance that could be swiftly backed up by a show of Firebending far more impressive than what had been previously seen by anyone. Even the lowliest ranked Firebender could conjure up something that, in earlier times, would have required a lot more effort than what he was capable of harnessing.

Ba Sing Sei's garrison of Fire Nation soldiers had been strengthened noticeably. But it was not just the soldiers who had changed. The settlers, from the Fire Nation, citizens of that land who had migrated to the other nations with the intentions of making use of their new found authority as de facto masters, had began to be more pushy. Taxes rose immediately, and so did the prices of their goods. Evictions became more commonplace. In fact, they no longer had to depend on the support of the soldiers to enforce their orders and claims. Those citizens who were Firebenders simply enforced it themselves.

And, as it has always been catalogued in the histories of mankind, as it has always been observed…the people of Ba Sing Sei rebelled against their new rulers.

It was slow, gradual, and, some hoped, unnecessary, but the current circumstances had forced a change in their attitudes of passive defiance. Leaders of the community who had previously advocated a more peaceful and restrained show of dissatisfaction were now pushing for, as some called it, affirmative action, to be taken against their unwanted masters. Those who dissented were swept aside in the rising tide of righteous anger mixed with a form of patriotism that could only come in times of war.

And with the rebellion, came the inevitable sufferings. Pain, and death.

In war, entropy rules.

Chaos was the order of the day.

* * *

"I warned you," Iroh said quietly, watching as his nephew stared at the reports before him. "This was to be expected." 

"Those fools," Zuko breathed, his face locked in a scowl of fury. "To think that they ordered the soldiers to attack!"

"What would you have them do, Fire Lord? Simply sit back and allow the crowd to advance through them and into the Fire Nation quarter? Those soldiers had a duty to the Fire Nation citizens living in Ba Sing Sei, Zuko. They had a duty to do what was best for the people."

"The number of deaths will rise," Zuko said, after he had sat for several minutes in silence. A duty to do what was best for the people. His uncle had a way of casting your own words back at you.

"They will rise. That was merely preliminary reports, Fire Lord. No actual body count was taken. And, believe me, these things have a tendency to be high." Iroh glanced at the window, then swept his gaze around the room. The Fire Lord's study was neat, with an overwhelming amount of red. Blood red, the old general could not help thinking. His eyes finally settled on the pair of curved swords that hung on the wall. Two relics of the recent past.

"I will go to Ba Sing Sei, and take control of the city. I shall rein in our soldiers. End this unneeded bloodshed." Iroh watched his nephew, hoping that the young Fire Lord would acknowledge the need for this. Zuko shook his head. "There is no need for you to go. Azula has already left this morning, with Ty Lee and Mai, and a detachment of the palace guard elite. I will dispatch the Yu Yan archers to Ba Sing Sei tomorrow."

"Azula?" Iroh exploded. "Zuko, have you lost your mind completely? Do you know what sending Azula would do to those people?"

"It is better than sending you, Uncle. After all, Azula's invasion was bloodless and successful. Yours was bloody, and it ultimately failed!" At the very moment those words escaped his lips, Zuko regretted them immediately. The look on his uncle's face was shock, and regret, and a myriad of other emotions that tore at Zuko's heart. The old man opened his mouth as if to say something in his defense, and then closed it, as if he had thought better of it.

"I see." And that was all he said.

"Uncle…" Zuko began, but the old man waved him off. "I have to go," he muttered, and stood up. Zuko moved forward, and grabbed at his uncle's arm. "Uncle…please…I'm…"

His apologies remained unsaid, for his uncle brushed his arm off, and, without another word, without even a backward glance, made for the door.

* * *

The air was cold in Ba Sing Sei, when Azula and her party made their way, the Princess of the Fire Nation staring ahead at the early morning sunlight from a hole that served as a window in the Fire Nation machine that she was in. The metal monster belched smoke and groaned with the sound of metal grinding and tearing. It left visible marks on the ground as it moved swiftly across, unsettling soil and earth in its wake.

"It has been a while since we have been to Ba Sing Sei, hasn't it, girls?" she asked, still staring out at the scenery passing her by. She was not given to admiration of nature's gift of beauty, but it did provide a welcome relief from the interior of the machine. There was only so much red that one could take.

"Well, yeah!" Ty Lee chirped, bouncing on her seat, no mean feat, as the seat was made out of metal. "The last time we were there, we had to fight…" The girl continued on with her anecdotes, and Azula felt her thoughts wonder, barely listening to her friend.

Victory. Ba Sing Sei symbolized that to her, her ability to best men more than three times her age at a game that she played very skillfully then, and just as skillfully now, or perhaps even more so as she matured. Politics. It was in her blood, the so called divine right to rule. To play her cards in a field where the players were often not on the table side. To seize opportunities when they presented themselves. To carve out opportunities when she needed them.

She played politics very skillfully indeed. The trick was not to let anyone know that you are in the game until the last possible second when you revealed the winning hand.

"We should be arriving soon, in about an hour or so, Princess," the guard said respectfully. He bowed, and left just as quietly as he had came. Mai sat up, the only indication of interest that she had given for almost the entire trip.

"An hour," she muttered, loud enough for her friends to hear. "We should get ready then!" Ty Lee exclaimed. She turned to look at Mai. "Do you want me to braid your hair?"

* * *

"The situation is fast becoming untenable," the Earth King said, glancing around the table at his assembled advisors, as well as representatives from his allies…the allies against the Fire Nation when the war was going on. _When the war was going on_. 

"The Fire Lord has been on the throne for over three weeks, and yet we do not see any indication of the change that we had been expecting. The change that his ascension had promised to bring." The Earth Kingdom noble stood, gesturing as he spoke, his eyes meeting each and every person assembled at the table side. There was a general murmur of agreement.

"But what can we do, then? We cannot go against the Fire Nation. Not now, not in a year's time. The arrival of the comet has effectively sealed that," another spoke.

"If the Avatar was here…"

"If the Avatar was here, Fire Lord Zuko would not have dared to do anything such as this. But the Avatar is not here, nor is there any sign of his reincarnation. We are alone in this."

"We cannot do anything else, but continue negotiations," a Water Tribesman said. "The Fire Nation army has made inroads into most of the Earth Kingdom, and their ships patrol the waters close to the North and South Poles. Any attempt to muster an attack will be swiftly dealt with. Have you not seen what happened in Ba Sing Sei? Are you truly willing to let our peoples suffer the agonies of war again?"

"Some would say that death is better than slavery," one said.

"Tell that to those who suffer while they die."

Silence greeted that statement, as the assembled men shuffled in their seats, glancing at the table tops or the ceiling or anywhere else, except for each other. The Earth King sighed, and broke the silence.

"Then negotiations it is, since there is little else that we can do."

The statement was greeted with less enthusiasm, whether in agreement or in dissatisfaction, for the inevitable truth was that there really was nothing else that they could do. No one had actually thought of what would happen after the death of Fire Lord Ozai. Everyone had been focused on that one thing, their energies and resources devoted in securing that one goal. And the death of the Avatar had been entirely unexpected, and entirely unpredicted.

If the Avatar had still been alive, there was little doubt in the minds of the assembled men that he would have put a stop to any attempts by the newly instated Fire Lord to continue the war. But the fact remained that the Avatar was with them no longer.

That was, essentially, all he was to them. The Avatar. Not Aang, but the Avatar.

"If we are to negotiate, we shall need someone with some leverage with the Fire Lord. Someone whose opinion, whose presence, he will take into account. Someone who he will not ignore completely, like what he did to the other envoys I have sent."

"Someone who will make a firm stand for us."

The Earth King turned to the Water Tribesman, who nodded.

* * *

Author's note 

Thanks to all who have read, and a special thanks to all who reviewed. Feel free to drop your ideas and comments to me personally if you wish to.

And thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, the last Airbender, bla bla bla...

Chapter 2

It was cold. But she was used to it, used to the piercing weather that had a way of chilling your very bones. She was used to the continuous white landscape, layers after layers of snow. She was used to the sight of her grandmother tending to the younger children outside her tent…used to her father returning home from the hunt with the rest of the tribesmen.

She was not used to being alone.

Dead, the both of them. Dead. Katara closed her eyes, feeling the tears threatening to well up again. She brushed her eyes fiercely, blinking them away, willing herself to keep hold of her emotions.

I will not cry. Not now. Not ever.

With a grunt, she lifted the bucket of fish and made her way back to her home. The very sight, the familiar scent she had always associated with home, all brought back emotions, memories of her brother. Sokka running around, adjusting this and that. Sokka bossing her around. Big brother, big bother…clumsy Sokka.

And Aang, the last Airbender. The last Avatar.

_Sokka was the first to die. She could remember him screaming as the flames engulfed him…flames hot enough to burn human flesh. Flames of a Fire Lord, rushing towards her brother. The armour he was so proud of proved to be no protection at all._

_And then Aang…_

"Katara…" her father smiled as she passed him. "Father," she smiled back, and again, she felt the tears welling up. But once again, she forced them back, turning her head away so that the brief look of grief that passed over her face would remain unnoticed.

Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe gazed silently at his daughter, then patted her on the shoulder before moving away. His face held a faint smile, but his eyes held grief. Pain and suffering. The loss of a son he had so briefly been reunited with…no, she was not the only one feeling pain. Her father felt it, her grandmother felt it….the celebratory mood that one would expect from the tribe, having received news of the war's end, did not exist. Sadness, grief, hung like a permanent pallor in the very air around them, even amongst those who did not know Sokka well.

Not amongst the children, though. They ran on, played just as happily as before. Childish innocence, unburdened by the cares of the world, concerned only with the joy that came only with the unblemished naivety that they had.

Aang had been like that…once.

How could anyone have expected a young boy to go up against the Fire Lord and win? And yet win he did.

But at the cost of his life.

She could not cry…would not cry. _Be strong_, he said. _Be strong, and you will get through this_.

She would be strong. For Sokka's sake. For Aang. For everyone who had suffered for so long, and for those who suffered still, she would be strong.

And so, she would not cry. Not now, not ever.

* * *

It was early in the morning, but Toph Bei Fong was not sleeping. She gazed out at the sunrise she could not see, feeling the creeping warmth on her skin. Slow, gradual…and so very, very enjoyable. 

Like friendship.

She sniffed, and shifted her body, leaning against the door of her family home. The servants were busy inside, preparing breakfast, cleaning, doing things that had never really interested her, like chores. Her parents were still in their bedroom, and thankfully, that was all she knew.

She grinned briefly at that thought, thinking of…thinking of what Sokka would have said to that. And what Aang would have added in.

Friends. A gift that once given, could not be given back. The time when they had been together had been wrought with danger, but danger, exciting as it was, was nothing if you did not have friends with you.

Right now, Sokka would be wondering what was for breakfast. And Aang would make a joke, and they would all laugh, and Momo would land on Sokka, who would somehow end up bumping into Appa.

Toph Bei Fong gazed out to the sunrise she could not see, and cried tears that she could feel.

* * *

It was strange, returning to a city you had once conquered. A city you once held in your flaming fist. Azula gazed at the familiar walls of Ba Sing Se. She smiled, partly to herself, wondering how the city's inhabitants would greet her when they found out who exactly the Fire Nation emissary was. 

The Fire Nation…_emissary_.

"We should prepare ourselves," Mai noted dispassionately. "We'll be entering the gates of the palace soon."

"I know," the Fire Princess replied, but made no move to act on her friend's suggestion. "To think that I conquered this city…"

"And what's more, to think that now you're returning as a tourist!" Ty Lee chirped. Mai groaned, and the acrobat pointedly ignored her. Ty Lee's attempts to braid her friend's hair had met with stiff, and above all, pointed, resistance.

Power. That was what Ba Sing Se meant to her. Power, the sheer thrill of grabbing it out of another person's hands, prying it away, and enjoying every single moment of it.

It was all a game. A complicated one, to be sure, and she was the best player around. The first moves were important, to consolidate your position on the board, even without anyone realizing anything. Ally yourself with those who can both pave your way and bar it. And then take their pieces away before they even realize that something was wrong.

With a sudden smile, she turned her attention away from the small window to her friends. "I wonder whatever happened to Long Feng," she smirked. Mai smiled, a small, crooked smile. "We should really try and find out," she replied. Ty Lee nodded at Mai's reply, feud forgotten.

The metal doors clanged open, and Azula stepped out into the sunlight, blinking as the sudden exposure caused her to raise her hand to cover her eyes. The Fire Nation soldiers, the honour guard, straightened noticeably, the very pinnacle of military discipline.

The Fire Nation commander knelt, and was followed by the rest of his men. "Your royal highness," he said, "Welcome to Ba Sing Sei." He kept his eyes to the ground...he had heard stories, after all. He did not believe most of them, but still...he did not rise up the ranks of the Fire Nation army without being cautious.

"Thank you, Commander," Azula replied, and he shivered slightly at the tone of her voice. The aristocratic arrogance, the coldness..."I believe you have had a problem here, Commander..." Azula said, "A problem that needs to be rectified immediately."

"Yes, Princess," came the reply, hesitant, unsure. He was afraid of her, she knew that much. Afraid of what she could, and would, do to him, afraid of the influence she wielded. That much, at least, she had not lost.

"You will give me a full, detailed report, Commander."

"By your command, Princess...but if we could perhaps adjourn to the palace instead..."

"Very well, Commander. Lead the way." She watched him stand, bow once more, and turn, marching with stiff military precision. The three girls followed, and the soldiers fell in line behind and around them, a protective formation. A mere formality, for between the three of them, they could defeat this entire company without breaking a sweat.

* * *

To say that the general staff were afraid of Princess Azula would be an understatement. The commanders of the 28th Brigada sat along both sides of a long table, once used by the Earth King for the long, lavish and expensive dinners he hosted. Or were hosted for him by the then Grand Secretariat, Long Feng. Now it was used as the centrepiece of the meeting point of the general staff, and, at the head of the table, with her two friends on either side of her, sat Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. 

"My journey here was rushed, and there was little time for me to...acquaint myself with the full details of the..._incident_." Azula watched the men carefully. Her earlier suspicions were correct. They did not know how much she, or the Fire Lord, for that matter, knew. And now, as she observed those minute movements and changes in their bearings, their postures, the way they sat, she could see obvious relief. And renewed tension, as the senior officers began to wonder if, at all, they should lie...or tell her the truth.

"Believe me, one way or the other, I will find out what exactly has happened. For now, I would like to hear what my general staff has to say."

"_My general staff_." A few eyebrows were surreptiously raised at that, metaphorically speaking, of course. These men were soldiers, but soldiers of high rank, and one did not rise that high without at least some training and skill in the nuances of politics.

There was a long silence. Not really that long, but to the men seated in the hall, it seemed to go on for an eternity. The Princess' arrival had taken them by surprise...they had only been informed of it half a day earlier, when an advanced runner appeared suddenly at the city gates and demanded entry, bearing a scroll with the Fire Lord's seal on it. The writing was different from that of the royal scribe's, and, a few of them suspected, that meant that the letter was written by Fire Lord Zuko himself.

Now, they all wondered silently...who would be the first to speak. The general staff was governed by consensus of all...there was no real leader amongst them. The Brigada followed the Fire Lord's orders, and tactics were discussed amongst them, so that no one general or admiral would hold total power over the troops. Detrimental perhaps, as this might have caused factions to spring up amongst them, but the Fire Lord's will held sway, and all squabbles had been kept to a bare minimum. Of course, the real reason was to ensure that no rebellion could be initiated by one man, leading the rest. Fire Lord Ozai had been very careful about that.

Finally, an aged general stood, and bowed slightly to the Princess. He was an old hand, a former officer in the first invading army to Ba Sing Sei. An old acquaintance of Prince Iroh.

"It was early one morning," he said, watching not the princess, but his fellow officers. No one looked him in the eye, but he knew that all of them were listening, in case he decided to place the blame on one of them.

"The mob was small at first, a firebrand speaker inciting a small crowd near a local tavern. It grew rapidly...far more rapidly than we expected. Far faster than we thought possible. Before we knew it, there was a full riot on the streets. Over two thousand...maybe even three thousand...it was difficult to tell. The few soldiers out on patrol were swept aside...lynched, the word is. And then they started towards the Fire Nation section of the city."

The occupation of Ba Sing Sei, one of the largest, and by far the richest city in the Earth Kingdom, had, inevitably, attracted citizens of the Fire Nation, who wanted to take advantage of their newfound first citizen status. The migration was encouraged by Fire Lord Ozai, a slow, gradual integration of all conquered territories into the Fire Nation. Long time residents of Ba Sing Sei found themselves forced out of their homes...uprooted. A section of the city was dedicated to this purpose, the sole purpose of housing the Fire Nation citizens who decided to migrate. It was not in the upper class section, of course, but amongst the middle class, whose accomodations seemed to be far better than what the new migrants were used to back in the Fire Nation. For who else would move, but the poorer citizens, in search of a new, better life?

"We positioned soldiers at the entrances of the Fire Nation quarter. Firebenders, most of them were, for these people would not dare to attack Firebenders. Especially when we are at our full strength. We...I called in five tanks to cordon the area off, and the crowd was ordered to disperse."

"They refused. And then...they..."

Silence, again. The general staff turned their attention away from the studious study of the table, and to the Princess, who sat, leaning back, into her chair.

"How many?" she asked.

"A little over six hundred." This came from another man, seated at the far corner of the table, away from her. She cocked her head sightly to get a better view, and then blinked in surprise.

"Long Feng," she smiled, and, surprisingly, there was some warmth in the way she said the name. "The very same, Princess," Long Feng stood and bowed. She had not recognized him, none of them did. The former Prime Minister of Ba Sing Sei looked different in his Fire Nation clothes. He seemed slightly older, and had put on some weight. But his eyes remained the same.

* * *

"They piled the bodies on the streets, picking them up where they lay," the young man told his rapt audience. He had told the story many times, to different audiences, and sometimes the same audience. The people of Ba Sing Sei seemed to enjoy the tale of horror. It gave them more reason to hate their conquerers, the occupiers. It made good material for men to bluster on, and for women to gossip and exaggerate. 

Every burn, every scar, seemed to increase the fury of the audience. The Firebenders attacked first, as the mob moved forward, sending searing flames into the air as warnings and deterrents against moving closer. But that seemed only to encourage the mob, increasing their fury...their thirst for destruction. Their thirst for blood.

And the Firebenders had been on edge as well. Sozin's comet had arrived, and they were itching to try their newfound increase in power.

And so they did.

Earth Kingdom people burned. Literally. Flesh turned into smoky bits, burns and sores and welts appeared. Even those at the back could feel the heat, feel the hair on their faces and bodies, hands and legs singed. But still the mob advanced, trampling over their own fallen.

And that was when the tanks entered the fray. Blasts of fire roared towards the crowds, scattering them, forcing them back. But those at the rear pushed those in the front forward. And then the tanks had advanced, rolling over those wounded and those stunned on the ground, those people who were unfortunate enough to be crushed under their wheels. Fireballs flew through the air, burning not only the front line of the mob, but those in the middle, and those behind. The mob scattered even more, and retreated, howling and screaming curses as they fled back to the dubious safety of their homes. It would have ended there. It should have ended there.

But it didn't.

The tanks kept on advancing, their drivers finally tasting the pleasure of using their powers. The Firebenders charged forward, once tasting action, they wanted more of it. Young men, who had been continously exposed to the jeers and insults of the people of Ba Sing Sei, now took their savage revenge. They recieved no orders to dissuade them...their sargeants and captains had joined in.

"Few bodies were claimed, and the rest were burnt outside the city walls." Marshal law had all but descended unto Ba Sing Sei. Curfews were tightened, and even the slightest crime resulted in a jail sentence. Those who broke the curfew were, in some cases, never seen again.

And the city of Ba Sing Sei burned once more.

* * *

The Earth Kingdom ship docked almost casually, for the sailors were experienced men, hardened by war and rough seas, and they made docking the warship look easy. 

The Earth Kingdom ship looked far different from any the tribespeople had seen. But they had rarely travelled far. Indeed, for some, the furthest they had gone to was to the floating iceberg some miles out to sea. So it was a remarkable thing to watch the ship come to shore, unapposed by the few ships that patrolled the waters near the tribe settlement.

The crowd that had gathered stood by the shore, watching, curious.

The men stepped down, a mixed group, Earth Kingdom men and Water Tribe men, a group dressed in green and blue.

And they had come for one purpose, and one alone.

* * *

Author's Note. 

It's been a while since I updated, I know. ALMOST two months. And I apologise, sincerely. The thing is, I kinda had some trouble to take care of. It's all taken care of now, of course. I moved to a whole new different country, all of the sudden. So it has been hectic. Very hectic. And of course the computer came and it got spoiled from all that travelling and loading and unloading. So I had to get it fixed.

I miss my old home.

But again...SORRY.

SORRY.

SORRY.

SORRY.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last Airbender, but I swear to God that I will, someday...**

Chapter 3

The ship was a blockade runner, despite her outward appearance as a small cargo ship. The sides were narrow, and the sails, with the assistance of four Waterbenders who worked in highly taxing two hour shifts, gave her an impressive speed, able to outdistance any Fire Nation vessel, or so the ship's crew claimed. The vessel skimmed across the water, the men on the topwatch keeping an ever vigilant eye on the horizon, scanning carefully for the tell-tale signs of smoke that signalled the approach of the black coloured Fire Nation vessels. There had been one brief sighting, but fortunately for them, the Fire Nation ship had either failed to spot them, or had felt that one ship was not worth the trouble of summoning the rest of the fleet and giving chase.

Katara stood astern, silently watching the Waterbenders at work. They were volunteers from the Northern Water Tribe, in service with the Earth Kingdom navy, a move that had been initiated in the later parts of the war. For some reason, most of the Water Tribesmen in service with the Earth Kingdom did not yet return to their homes. The general feeling was that their services were still required, despite the apparent end to the war.

The continuous sound of the waves was calm, soothing, and Katara felt the anxiety she felt at the initial stages of the journey slowly slip away. She had been at sea for three days already, and here, surrounded by her element in the middle of the ocean, she felt calmer than she ever did while back in the Southern Water Tribe. There was something oddly peaceful about sea travel, the way the caress of the winds and the non stop splashing of the water against the ship's sides. Almost as if the sea was washing her worries away.

Almost.

Her mind drifted back to the meeting with the Earth King's representatives, a meeting that she had not expected, and that she had been relunctant to attend. They wanted her help. Where the most persuasive of their ambassadors had failed, they expected her to succeed, or at least have better luck. She had not wanted to go.

But she had gone, anyway. Because he would have done the same.

She doubted what she could realistically achieve. It was not in Zuko's character to listen to someone he had been briefly allied with in the closing stages of the war. His attitude towards her had been...she did not really know. There was a mutual distrust between them, mingled with the realization that their goals were the same and that cooperation was best under the circumstances. She...they had helped his uncle to escape, spiriting the old man away under the noses of a full battalion of Fire Nation soldiers, a daring rescue attempt undertaken in the Fire Nation capital itself. Iroh, Zuko's uncle, had taught Aang firebending.

And Zuko's father had killed Aang.

They had even fought, against each other, and side by side. In the caverns of Ba Sing Sei, and in the corridors of the Fire Palace. He had even travelled with them, briefly.

And he did not turn an eye as his own father struck the Avatar down.

She did not trust him, had not really trusted him, not even when he had rescued her, and her friends. He had gained her trust once, and threw it back at her face less than half a day later. And she had not trusted him since. Never forgiven him since.

And his actions now seemed to validate her feelings. What he was playing at, she did not know. What she was going to do about it, she did not know.

But whatever it was, she would do it, all the same.

Because he would have done it too.

But now there was the sea, and the sky, and the clouds. And her memories. And, for the first time in what seemed to be an eternity of grief and withdrawal, of avoiding...she could remember, and smile at her memories. Of Aang, of Sokka, of times spent together on Appa's back, of flying free in the sky.

Of hope.

She would never see them again, yes. But the memories remained, for better...

Or for worse.

* * *

Zuko watched the sky, his eyes travelling from cloud to cloud. Lost in memories of his own. He remembered the first time he flew on the Avatar's air bison, clutching nervously on the beast's fur, keeping his eyes firmly ahead, not daring to look down. He remembered the jokes they told at his expense, remembered how he tried to ignore them at first, and then retalliated with a few words of his own, which only seemed to make them laugh harder. 

Good times, even though he was loathe to admit it to himself directly.

It had been a strange feeling, travelling on the beast that he had pursued for months. Travelling on the beast that he had freed from captivity. But it was a strangely good feeling, all the same.

A brief smile flicked on his face, and disappeared as he turned his gaze downwards, to the palace gardens. He could see his uncle there, playing Pai Sho with an old acquaintance. And winning, if the dismayed gestures of the man was anything to go by. _I'm sorry, Uncle..._

It had been a mistake, a big mistake, to have said that to Iroh. What possessed him to say such a thing...he did not know. He had thought that he was finally mature, able to think calmly and clearly before he acted.

Apparently not.

He owed a lot to his uncle. The old man had stood by him forever, had watched over him with a fatherly eye, even as his own true father turned away with a contemptuous glance. Iroh had forgiven him even when he wasn't sure that he could forgive himself.

And now, he had hurt the old man once again.

The Fire Lord turned away from the window, and his mind away from his thoughts. The guilt was too much to bear. He glanced at his table, and the rolled up scrolls, the piles of papers: report after report of statistics that made his head ache. He had a meeting with the War Council later, the first one he would conduct personally. Azula had conducted the meetings before this.

He was not looking forward to it.

He sighed, and sat down. He reached forward, halfheartedly pulling a scroll towards him. His eyes flicked through the contents. Absently, his free hand moved to the cup beside him, raising it to his lips. Cold tea was better than no tea, but hot tea was better than cold tea. He smiled to himself at the thought, which reminded him of something that his uncle would have said, and, with barely an effort, he warmed the tea up.

As he sipped, he gazed through the scroll once again, but the words seemed to mean nothing to him at all. And then, absently, he wondered when he had poured the tea into the cup in the first place. That particular thought brought him up short, and, even as his throat began to burn, he spat the tea out.

Clutching his throat, choking, the Fire Lord staggered away from the table, coughing, his vision swimming. His head seemed to implode within him, a searing pain that made him feel like clawing his eyes out. He tried to yell, to scream, but all that came out from his throat was a hoarse whisper.

He stumbled to the carpeted floor, clutching his stomach in pain, eyes closed in agony. His mind raced desperately, trying to think through the haze of pain. The pain was horrible, agonizing, and he screamed again, and this time, a louder shriek, the cry of a desperate man, issued from his throat. It was primal fear, fear that came from a sudden realization that there was a distinct possibility that he might just die.

He needed to get help, but in this condition, he could hardly stand, much less muster another shout. After all, the servants were told to stay away...he disliked them walking around and outside his study while he was inside.

He needed to get help...but how?

* * *

Iroh smiled at his opponent, who was rapidly turning redder and redder as the game progressed. The man had been known to be a master player, one of the best in the palace. A usurper of his title while he was away...and now, Iroh intended to reclaim it again. Besides, a game of Pai Sho would take his mind of things for a while, which was exactly what the old man needed. 

Iroh sighed, his mind drifting back to that moment. Of course Zuko did not mean it. He knew his nephew too well to take offense at everything that he said. But the very fact that Zuko had said it...it was disappointing. Hurtful, too, although Zuko had not meant it to be that. But true all the same, in any case.

It was precisely the reason why, when offered the Fire Throne, Iroh had chosen to remain Prince Iroh as opposed to Fire Lord Iroh. His appointment would have brought up painful memories, especially amongst the nobles of Ba Sing Sei. Better an exiled son of Ozai than the brother who laid siege to the great city.

Besides, any desire for power had died out the moment the life faded out of Lu Ten's eyes.

And then there was an explosion.

Iroh ran, faster than he had ever run before, his heart pounding in his chest, a thousand different possibilities racing through his mind. For an old man, he ran quite fast, outstripping the two armoured guards who were behind him as they raced to the third floor of the palace. The old man felt the faint stirrings of panic, threatening to escalate into full blown hysteria for every step that brought him closer to the third floor. And then, finally, he was there, but there were other guards, other palace functionaries.

And then he saw Zuko. The Fire Lord was lying on the floor, with a guard kneeling beside him, not daring to touch his master. Just kneeling, and watching fearfully. The small crowd was parted forcefully by Iroh, and he moved to his nephew's side.

"The physician has been summoned," someone said, but Iroh barely heard him. His eyes were focused on Zuko, noting the paleness of his already pale skinned nephew. Zuko opened his eyes, and slowly, he glanced at his uncle.

"Uncle..." he tried to say, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper, followed by a racking cough. And then he vomited. "Hush, nephew...I'm here. Just lie still. It will be all right," Iroh said, trying to convince himself more than reassure his nephew. The scene seemed terrifyingly familiar...only the settings was different. Lu Ten, clutching his father's hand desperately, Iroh kneeling beside him, surrounded by disbelieving, fearful soldiers, whispering words of comfort into his son's ear, knowing full well that the wound was fatal. The smoke in the room, the burning smell of the still smouldering carpets...Iroh was momentarily transported back into that fateful afternoon in Ba Sing Sei, amidst the carnage of war, one father weeping for his son as he spoke the last words the son would ever hear alive. And in Iroh's mind, at the moment, there were only two words, repeating over and over and over.

_No, no, not again_.

And then the Fire Lord fainted, just as the royal physician burst into the room.

* * *

The streets of Ba Sing Sei were silent, totally devoid of life. The distant sound of clanking armour and boots hitting the pavement was all that could be heard...the movements of the Fire Nation soldiers out on patrol, enforcing martial law upon the city. No one went out, for the punishment for breaking curfew was interrogation, and no one wanted that. They had all heard stories, and, in a city such as Ba Sing Sei, under such circumstances, stories had a habit of evolving into more fearsome tales. 

The arrival of Princess Azula had not brought about another protest, as some people, including several on the Fire Nation side, had predicted. That first, fatal protest, had left a permanent imprint on the minds of the citizens of Ba Sing Sei, some of which still had scars and burns, testament to the power and brutality that the Fire Nation soldiers were capable of. And Princess Azula could be far more cruel and sadistic than that, and no one really wanted to risk her wrath. Or recieve her personal attention.

Not yet, anyway. There was a powerful undercurrent of ill-feeling, and it was only a matter of time before that current caused another disturbance. Already, the motions were being set for another round...drinkers at taverns stayed way past curfew, listening over and over to stories of the atrocities commited by the Fire Nation on that day. Atrocities that seemed to grow worse and worse as the story was told over and over again. New stories came to light...stories of torture in the dungeons, conducted not only by the Fire Nation soldiers, but by the Dai Li themselves, their Earth Kingdom allies. Stories of torture sessions kept tightly under guard, highly secretive.

No one really questioned how such well guarded sessions conducted under heavy secrecy could leak out to the public. No one really cared. Perhaps it was in the interest of some parties, on both sides of the fence, to have these stories leak out.

And once out, they spread forth like wildfire. People whispered them to each other in the marketplace, in the tea houses...everywhere, the Fire Nation soldiers recieved more than the usual veiled curses and dark glances. But no one crossed the line to direct assault.

Not yet, in any case.

But soon, someone would crack. Whether it would be a Fire Nation soldier, or a Earth Kingdom woman, or a new settler to Ba Sing Sei, or one of the young noblemen who now took to mixing with the middle classes in the taverns at night, did not matter. For the end result would be the same again.

In war, entropy rules.

* * *

She glanced at the moon, as she did every night these days. Sometimes she wondered how that girl, Yue, would have looked like. But these thoughts would inadvertantly lead her to thoughts of Sokka, and those thoughts were not welcome. Suki sighed, and turned away, preparing to make her way back to her house once again. She was dressed, not in what seemed to be her standard uniform; the green armoured kimono, but in a pale blue kimono. A present that Sokka had thought of giving her, before he had died. Katara had passed it to her instead. 

It was painful, thinking of him. The thought that she would never see him again was unbearable...never again to hear his voice, his jokes. Never to see his face, to feel his lips on hers. Never again.

She entered her room, glancing at the bags once again. Tomorrow, she would set out to escort Katara on her journey to the Fire Nation. To the place where Sokka, and Aang, had died. For negotiations with the new Fire Lord, the hot tempered brat who had been the first Fire Nation soldier to step into Kyoshi Island, bringing with him the war that Kyoshi had tried to ignore for so long.

Suki sat on her bed, her hands moving to her golden yellow metal fans. She flicked them open, twirling them absently, lost in her memories of Sokka once more.

* * *

"You know what to do?" he asked. The physician nodded, his hands clutching the bag of money, perhaps without even knowing that he was doing it. His own conscience was clear. He had nothing to do with the attempted poisoning, nor, as far as he knew, did his benefactor. And he was not being paid to poison the Fire Lord either, quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. He was recieving rewards from two parties now for curing the Fire Lord, one from the palace, and another from the same benefactor who now stood before him. 

All he had to do was tell the Fire Lord a small lie. And he would recieve a sum large enough for him to buy that new house for his wife and children at last. And pay for his oldest son's university fees, which would have put quite a strain on the family's budget.

"The poison is an Earth Kingdom one, Prince Iroh. The ingredients are exclusive to a region near the southern coast of that kingdom...just on the South Sea. I recognized it immediately. It would have been fatal, had the Fire Lord finished the whole cup. Fortunately, the effects have been lessened considerably...although..." the physician sighed, but he was cut off by the prince.

"The name of this region?" Iroh asked, his eyes glancing suspiciously at the attendant who was wheeling in a cart bearing some water and fruit for the Fire Lord. All the food and drink was to be tasted carefully, from now onwards. Iroh made sure of it.

"The name, General Iroh, is Kyoshi Island."

* * *

Author's Note. 

Nothing much to say, really, except to thank my reviewers and readers. THANKS. I hope you liked the chapter. And Season 3 is premiering soon, by the way...SEPTEMBER 21st. But of course, you already knew that...

Needless to say, I am excited, although I must admit, at my age, which still has a '1' as the first number, mind you, I am perhaps too old to be getting excited over the premiere of a cartoon.

But to hell with it...I'm excited, all the same.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time, there was a writer who went by the penname of Sorgens K****ammer who DID NOT own Avatar the last Airbender.**

**

* * *

**

He woke up, his throat parched and burning, his brain pounding in his head. Opening his eyes seemed to take a magnificent effort on his part, and he quickly closed them again, raising his hand to rub his eyes and forehead. His movements were sluggish, and extremely tiring, but he managed to raise himself up on his elbows, glancing blearily around the room. Red carpets, on the floor, and a banner with the Fire Nation emblem hung on the wall, which was also red, he noted with a certain amount of distaste. The entire palace was red.

Zuko sat up, and felt his vision swim. He closed his eyes again, and swung his legs down to the floor. The pounding on his head seemed to stop, and he hoped that that would be the last time he would have to experience it. The Fire Lord reached for the jug on the table beside his bed, and poured himself a glass of water. Halfway through drinking, he froze, remembering his last experience at drinking. But there were no symptoms of the instantaneous poisoning he had experienced earlier...how much earlier he had no idea...and so he continued drinking, feeling the cool water rush down his throat.

His thirst sated, he stood up, feeling slightly unsteady, and slowly made his way to the door.

* * *

The Earth King glanced around at the men who sat by the table, watching them carefully for any sign of unease or discomfort. "I suppose you are all aware of what...happened...yesterday?" he asked, his eyes travelling to each man, men from the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. Most of them nodded, some voiced their acknowledgements. 

None of them looked guilty.

"Was it any one of us?" he asked then, not really expecting an answer. In truth, the Earth King did not truly believe that any of the men here would have stooped to assassination. There were too many things to be considered, a myriad of variables in the complex and shadowy field that was politics. He trusted his councillors, but even he acknowledged that past evidence would call into question his judgement in trusting people. After all, he had trusted Long Feng, and the Grand Secretariat of the Earth Kingdom had precipitated the fall of his nation, and turned traitor, offering his loyalties to the Fire Nation.

"There are many who would wish to harm the Fire Lord," a councillor said, looking around, breaking the silence that had followed the Earth King's question. "Even within the FIre Nation itself, there are those who would have prefered to see another occupying the Throne of Fire.

"Exactly. Perhaps it was one of the noble families, or even members of the Fire Nation military. It could be anybody," another man said, and some others nodded.

"Perhaps. But the method of assassination would require skills that not everybody can obtain," a Water Tribesman, from the Northern Water Tribe, said. "Poisoning the Fire Lord in his own palace would take a lot of money, and then there is the matter of acquiring the poison itself."

"We know little of what happened. There are rumours that the Fire Lord was killed, and there are rumours that he survived. My spies in the Fire Nation have been unable to penetrate the palace itself, even now. What we know is only the word on the street. THe average Fire Nation citizen knows just as much as we do...probably a little bit more," another man said.

"But the finger will be pointed to us," another chimed in, and the general bustle of conversation stopped, as the rest of the men turned their attention to the new speaker. The man flinched visibly at the attention, but continued, "We are the ones with the biggest stake in this, after all. One would think that the death of Fire Lord Zuko...would be to our advantage."

"Which would open the way for Princess Azula to the throne?" another asked incredulously. "Perhaps the assassination was engineered by Azula herself. She is, at the moment, in Ba Sing Sei, far away from the Fire Nation. Highly convenient, wouldn't you say?"

"That is too obvious. Azula is a schemer with more skill than that. She would not do something that transparent. Besides, there is no guarantee that she would be the one to ascend the throne. There is still Iroh."

"You don't think, perhaps, that it was..."

"NO." The answer came from several men, and the suggestion was quickly forgotten. Iroh's affection for his nephew was widely known, and no one could really question the Dragon of the West's loyalty to the new Fire Lord.

"Perhaps...perhaps the assassination was meant to be a catalyst...to incite a new war between the Fire Nation and us."

Now this suggestion brought absolute silence amongst the men assembled. It was troubling, the prospect of a new war. Especially now...

"Especially with the Firebenders at full strength," the Earth King said, publicly acknowledging the very thought in the minds of most of the men assembled.

"We must send a delegation immediately!" the Water Tribesman said vehemently. "We must let the Fire Lord know that we had nothing to do with the attempt on his life."

"If he is still alive, that is."

The Water Tribesman ignored that, although he privately acknowledged the pertinence of the question. "After all, the new ambassador is due to arrive at our docks by today. She could bring our...denial...as it were, as well as conduct negotiations on our behalf."

"I know Katara, and she will be a valuable asset to us, inside the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord will allow her inside, and, if he really is..." the Earth King paused, leaving the word unsaid, "General Iroh will allow her inside as well. She has...experience...dealing with the Fire Lord."

* * *

It was simple, remarkably simple, to gather the crowd once again. The people never learnt, and if they had learnt from their past mistakes, it would seem that they did not really put their knowledge into practice. Give them the slightest hint of hope, and they would seize on it, even if it was but a brief glimmer. But this was not a brief glimmer, nor was it even a glimmer at all. The news of the Fire Lord's death, prematurely given, as it would turn out, had brought the people of Ba Sing Sei out on the streets again. Celebrating. 

The celebrations were muted at first, but, with the constant presence of Fire Nation soldiers on the streets, it would soon turn to become more and more vocal.

The news spread fast through the many sections of Ba Sing Sei. The Fire Lord had been poisoned, fatally, a successful assassination in the apparent safety of his own palace. Theories were formed, and discussed, with fervour.

And this time, the mob was much more organized.

They approached the Fire Nation section from three sides, filling the three streets, and, foolishly, leaving their rear unguarded. Another mob gathered at the palace, at the outer gates, where Princess Azula, and the main part of the Fire Nation's 28th Brigada was housed.

The garrisons stationed outside the walls of Ba Sing Sei itself was notified, and ordered to deal with the mob threatening the Fire Nation quarter.

Did this people never learn? Perhaps they did, only this time, the wrong lesson was learnt.

This time, they brought weapons with them.

There were a number of former Earth Kingdom soldiers living in Ba Sing Sei, released from their prisoner-of-war camps soon after the death of Fire Lord Ozai. Their return to Ba Sing Sei, largest of the Earth Kingdom cities, was not halted by the Fire Nation garrison, demoralised at the lack of leadership on top of their hierachy. The soldiers had simply strolled in, most of them still bearing their weapons. A significant number of them were Earthbenders.

Most of these soldiers, and certainly almost all of the Earthbenders, had not joined in the first protest. They were tired of facing the Fire Nation. They wanted no part in any protest at all. If the Fire Nation wanted to patrol Ba Sing Sei, they were welcomed to it.

But now, with the horrific actions of the occupying army on that fateful day...those who did not want to join in now stood at the forefront of the mob, an organized militia.

* * *

The young man walked to the gates of the palace, standing straight in the face of the Firebenders who blocked the entrance. His bravery came with the presence of the two thousand people behind him, with the one hundred Earthbenders who stood in their armour at the forefront of this mob. 

"We demand entry," he said to the squad captain, "and a meeting with Princess Azula and the commanders of the Fire Nation army in Ba Sing Sei."

"For what purpose?" the captain asked, keeping the thin facade of politeness, aware of the flurry of activity behind, and in front of him. The man was a Firebender, and he had his orders. And he was fully aware of the consequences should he disobey Princess Azula. He had no desire to sit in a court martial where she was the presiding judge.

"To negotiate the handover of power to the civil government of Ba Sing Sei," the young man replied. He was a scholar, once a minor fuctionary in the old government of Ba Sing Sei. But he had always known that he had a destiny, a far greater destiny than remaining as a mere lowly clerk in the palace. And, for better, or for worse, he was a patriot.

He loved his country. He loved the Earth Kingdom. And he would die for it.

When the Fire Nation soldiers had formally taken power in Ba Sing Sei, this young man was one of the first to go underground. His enthusiasm, and his apparent ability at administration, had given him a prime post in the underground movement. In the band of Resistance Freedom Fighters. And now...now was his moment to shine.

"With the death of Fire Lord Zuko, the city of Ba Sing Sei formally declares her independance from Fire Nation rule."

* * *

Azula watched the mob from the balcony overlooking the main gates to the palace, She smiled, her eyes on the young man and the captain who were arguing with each other. "How foolish," she said, her tone contemptuous. 

"The generals really, really, want to see you, Azula," Ty Lee said. "Do they?" Azula said, turning slightly at her friend. "Tell them that I will see them, in due time. Just not yet."

"Are you sure about this, Azula?" Mai asked, when Ty Lee had left. The girl was leaning on the wall, not even looking out at the mob that stood at the palace walls.

"Of course I am," Azula replied. "My brother's unfortunate incident can still be played out to some degree. Besides...it would be interesting to see what they do." Her eyes spotted a runner moving rapidly to the palace doors itself, bearing a scroll in his hand. "Ty Lee," the Fire Princess said without turning, "Bring that man to me."

She was the errand girl today, for some reason, Ty Lee thought to herself, even as she bounced down the stairs. But still, she wasn't complaining.

* * *

"Kyoshi..." Zuko said softly, almost to himself, his tone distant, his eyes staring at the walls. "Yes, Fire Lord," the physician replied, from his place on the floor, where hs was kneeling, head bowed. 

"Now, Zuko, we cannot immediately jump to conclusions," Iroh admonished, watching his nephew carefully, privately thankful that Azula was in Ba Sing Sei at the moment, far away that she could do little to influence her brother's thinking.

"No...we cannot," Zuko agreed, and dismissed the physician with a careless flick of his hand. THe man bowed low once again, and left without another word, his duty done, and his conscience clear.

"Just because the poison came from Kyoshi does not mean that it is the Earth Kingdom that is responsible," Iroh said, moving to sit beside his nephew. They were in another room of the palace, since Zuko's old study now sported a huge hole in the wall. There were two guards outside, and all movement on this floor was watched carefully. Zuko was taking no chances this time.

"I know, Uncle...I know..." the Fire Lord replied, sighing heavily. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. "Yes it is, Zuko, but ridiculous or not, it is happening. And we must deal with it," Iroh replied.

"How are the investigations going?" Zuko asked. "Nowhere," the old man admitted. "Nothing at all. Nothing out of the ordinary, no new servants coming in, no servants suddenly leaving. I do not even know if it was an inside job or not. There are a number of ways someone could enter the palace without being detected. The Avatar did it, if you remember."

Zuko nodded, not bothering to respond to his uncle bringing up the Avatar in their conversation. "Like I said, there are those who would not want to see me on the throne."

"You don't suspect...?"

"Azula?" Zuko laughed bitterly. "Don't you, Uncle?"

Iroh paused, wondering how he would phrase his next few sentences. Keeping his gaze steadily on his nephew, the old man began. "I do not think that Azula was behind this," he said slowly, "It is too obvious. Too transparent. If she had wanted to depose you, she could have done it a long time ago. The timing, I will admit, is convenient...she being in Ba SIng Sei and all. But it was you who ordered her there, wasn't it?" There was no tone of bitterness in the old man's voice, nor would there be anything hidden, Zuko knew. The old man was remarkably forgiving, and Zuko thanked him for it.

"So if it was not Azula, then who was it?" Zuko asked the obvious question. Privately, he reflected on his uncle's statement. Was the decision to send Azula to Ba Sing Sei entirely his, or did his sister convince him to let her go? And yet, his uncle was right. This entire ploy was too obvious...to clumsy, for it to be Azula's doing.

"Have you considered that the attempt was meant to fail, Zuko?" Iroh asked. The question had weighed heavily in his mind, these last two days, as Zuko laid unconscious in his bed, Iroh sitting beside him, rarely leaving the room, always at his nephew's side.

"You heard the physician, Uncle. If I had finished that cup, I would have died. It seems to be a big risk. No...I think that the attempt was meant to kill me." It was strange, discussing your own death. It gave you a strange new appreciation for life.

Silence ensued, and the two men, one old, and one young, simply stared into space, each occupied with his own thoughts. There was an odd comfort to be found here, in each other's company. An odd feeling of safety. And with the circumstances of the last two days...Zuko had heard from the servants how his uncle had refused to leave his side, how Iroh had tasted every drop of water brought to him. He had even observed Iroh tasting his food beforehand, although the old man had tried to mask it behind the excuse of hunger.

"In any case, what you have to do now is conduct your daily activities normally. But with added precautions. We cannot take any chances."

"And yet we must wait for the other side to make the first move. How...ironic," Zuko smiled, voicing Iroh's unsaid words, his voice cold and bitter at the same time.

Perhaps it was the sudden shadow cast as a cloud temporarily covered the sun. Perhaps it was the fact that the poison had caused Zuko's voice to be temporarily hoarse and guttural. Perhaps it was because Iroh ws tired. Perhaps it was merely an old man's thoughts.

But at that moment, it had seemed that Ozai himself had said those last two words.

* * *

"We cannot wait for orders to come from the Fire Lord. That much is obvious, don't you agree, gentlemen?" Azula asked, watching the general staff with a faint smile on her lips. She had finally acceded to their repeated requests...or rather...pleas, for an immediate meeting to be convened to deal with the "emergency", as one of the generals had put it. 

"Therefore, we must decide on what to do by ourselves, correct?" she continued, and they nodded. The damning letter was in the middle of the table, having passed through every hand. If looks could burn, the letter would be smouldering ash by now.

"So, what shall we do, gentlemen?"

"We cannot agree with their demands. The Fire Lord will not allow it!" a general said firmly. "Ba Sing Sei is Fire Nation territory. If we were to allow this...this...travesty to occur, the other cities will follow suit. New Ozai will rebel, and so will the rest of them...we will not agree to this."

""So what then?" another general said. The first speaker kept silent. No one else spoke, for they knew the importance of the issue, and none of them had any ideas beside the obvious to give. And none of them would risk being the person seen to state that one idea out loud. For that would mean that the unfortunate person would be held responsible for any repercussions that ensued from giving that one command.

The old general, the one who had spoken about the first protest to Azula, turned to her. "This is a decision that we cannot be a part of. It is yours to decide, and yours alone...Princess. We will merely follow your commands."

_Capitulation_. They were hers now.

"Invite the representative of the people into the palace, and I will deal with it from there." Azula smiled, not bothering to disguise her pleasure. After all, the generals did not really understand the significance of what was happening here. Only Long Feng did, and he was nowhere to be found.

* * *

The underground facility of Lake Laogai was still there. After all, only the tunnels leading to it were destroyed. The facility itself still stood, under the waters. There was no risk of discovery. The Avatar had assumed that Long Feng and his Dai Li had had it destroyed. But this was not so.

Long Feng glanced at the walls, his eyes taking in every detail. He had not been in here many times...he had left it to his subordinates in the Dai Li to administrate. The former Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Sei was now given the task of resurrecting his old facility.

Azula had ordered it.

Long Feng doubted that the Fire Lord knew what his sister was up to. The Princess was...there was really no words to describe her. Long Feng did not know why she had not seized the Throne of Fire for herself, nor did he really speculate on it.

And he did not really know what she was trying to do here as well. HEre, in Ba Sing Sei.

He could have plotted against her. He could have tried to sway the Dai Li back in his favour. He could have used his connections with the general staff of the 28th Brigada to pull off a coup of his own, to regain power again. He could have challenged her. And he would lose, he knew. Which was why he would not even bother to challenge her...merely see to it that as she rose, he would rise once again with her.

Azula played the game perfectly. She could make sense of the many threads that connected a plot, moving things in her own direction, manipulating everything. It was incredible that a mere girl could do perfectly what he, and many others, could only do somewhat imperfectly.

It was, as she put it, the divine right to rule.

* * *

The ship finally docked, and Katara stepped off the gangplank, placing her feet on solid, unmoving ground once more. She glanced around, taking in the sights of the dock.

It was fishing village, and the pervalent stench of fish hung even here, mixing with the smell of the sea. People hardly gave her a second glance. Even now, they had retained that same attitude of ignorance that their unremarkable, unstrategic, and unobstrusive location had given them during the war.

She smiled, when she saw a familiar sight.

Katara moved forward to greet her old friend, happy that she had reached Kyoshi at last.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Soon...soon...the third season will finally premiere.**

**YES!!!!!**

**How did you guys like the chapter? Feel free to leave a comment, and drop any ideas that you might have. I've just realised that this story is not really your typical Zutara fic...if it was, Zuko and Katara would have met by now. I don't know...maybe it's moving too slowly, and I should speed it up, perhaps? I dunno...I seem to be concentrating on the politics of the situation too much, and not at the Zutara at all. And yes, I am bringing back Suki. And if you guys are wondering on why I don't name the other characters, it's because I don't really like to create OCs, as it were, even those with a minor bearing to the story. But if you think that I should, feel free to tell me.**

**Heh.**

**I need some feedback on that, if you guys don't mind.**

**And thanks for reading. I really appreciate it**.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Due to the fact that no one sees fit to give me a billion dollars, I do not own Nickelodeon, and hence, as a direct result from that, I do not own Avatar.**

**Chapter 5**

It was a beautiful afternoon, a perfect afternoon. The sky was clear, with patches of clouds, and the sun shone gently, bestowing a gentle caress on the land below. There were birds singing, and a cool, noiseless breeze. It was peaceful, and it was beautiful. It was perfection.

The Fire Lord's new study was, to be frank, not really different from his old one. There was still a table, with scrolls and various piles of paper all over the varnished top. Several decanters of wine lined the bottom shelf of a cabinet, and books lined the upper shelves. The walls were red, as always, and a banner bearing the familiar sight of the Fire Emblem was prominently located behind the Fire Lord's chair. On another wall was plastered a full map of the continents, and carefully marked with various small flags and lines, indicating troop positions, and general territorial boundaries. And on the other wall...two curved swords.

The study was currently occupied by its owner, and his closest advisor. Iroh sat comfortably on the cushioned chair, his belly protruding in front of him, dressed in his soft robes, a cup of tea in one hand, a steaming pot in front of him. His appetite for tea, slightly diminished by the circumstances of his nephew's poisoning, had returned in full force, although, Zuko thought privately, it would take more than his own death to cure his uncle of his addiction to tea.

The Fire Lord himself was standing, glancing out at the gardens, feeling the cool breeze that entered the window brush over his face. He had been doing this quite often, looking outside, gazing at the vast expense of the palace gardens and the city that lay beyond. In the far horizon, he could just make out the outline of the mountains, with the tallest ones rising high above the clouds.

The stifled feeling was still there...that feeling of entrapment, within these four walls, within his own palace. The years spent outside the palace in banishment...he had wanted nothing more than to return to the comfort, the security, of the Palace of Fire. And now...now, he wanted nothing more than to get out once again.

It was a peculiar feeling, being outside. It was as if out there, he was free, while in here, he was chained behind walls of protocol and diplomacy. The burden of command was something he could do without, if truth be told. he wanted to be out there, free to roam again. Even when he had pursued the Avatar, and especially when he had been declared a traitor, there was a distinct feeling of light headedness that came with the realization that you were free to do what you wanted, to go anywhere that you wished to go.

Zuko sighed again, and turned his back to the window with a slight feeling of regret. Iroh raised an eyebrow, and took a sip of tea, before placing the cup gently back on the table. "Troubled thoughts, nephew?" the old man asked, and Zuko shook his head, not really sure of how he was to explain what he felt. Instead, he mentally banished all thought of the outside world, and turned his thoughts to the situation at hand.

"The reports coming out of Ba Sing Sei indicates that Azula is still in control of the situation," Iroh said, "But the other cities...they are growing restless, Zuko. Omashu...New Ozai...was and still is on the verge of open rebellion, it would appear."

"The death of a Fire Lord tends to do that to people," Zuko replied wryly. "I'm not really the most popular person in the three nations."

Iroh grinned at that statement, and continued, "The Earth King is sending another representative." Zuko grunted, "Haven't they learnt anything yet? I will not relinquish my hold on the captured territories. No representative will talk me into doing anything like it."

"He seems to think that this one will. After all, this representative is an old friend of yours. Katara."

"Katara?" Zuko echoed, a little surprised. "They would entrust something as important as this to a mere girl?"

"A mere girl who travelled by the Avatar's side, and brought about the downfall of your father's rule. There is more to Katara than you realise."

"Just because we travelled with her and her friends does not mean that she has any hold on me," Zuko replied, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Katara was coming. "The Earth King thinks otherwise," Iroh said, taking yet another sip of tea.

To be honest, Zuko had not really thought all that much about her at all, in the past few weeks after his father's death. Sure, there were some memories, when he walked through the corridors of the Palace of Fire. The Waterbender girl had been merely an acquaintance, a brief travelling companion. Nothing more. It was odd, Zuko thought as he sat down. He had thought that he would never see her again, that their interactions would end with the death of his father. With the Avatar's death.

He remembered how she was, how she had reacted when the Avatar had died. The girl had seemed very upset, but of course, her own brother had died as well. A cruel, double blow on the same day, in the space of a few minutes. To lose two people whom you had loved dearly within such a short period was something extraordinarily painful. Even losing someone you loved...

_I miss you, Mother_.

He could see her, kneeling by the Avatar's body, her brother's body beside her as well, the pool of blood around her knees and legs, staining her blue dress. She was crying, and the sobs tore at his heart. Her shoulders shook as she wept and wept, screaming, helpless to save either of them, as the full knowledge of the fact that she would never again see them alive again came crashing down on her. What she must have been feeling...Zuko did not really want to know. There was an anguish there that tore his heart, watching another person's pain. He, who had lost his father, did not cry, did not know what he was feeling at the realization that he was now an orphan in the true sense of the word. No father, no mother. But Ozai had not been much of a father to him, and, Zuko would privately admit later, there was no real feeling of grief at his father's death, either to him or his sister. Their father had been consumed by his role as the Fire Lord, and they had viewed the man as the Fire Lord, and no one else. There was just regret...that was all he felt at his father's death, and then at the funeral. But regret was a peculiar kind of sadness, in any case.

But Katara had lost a brother whom she loved, and a friend that she loved as well. Zuko had suspected something between her and the Avatar, but had not thought to question it, had not given much thought to it. But now, watching her cry, he felt pain for another person, a sympathy that he could not turn into words. He could only stand and watch as she cried and cried, wailing her sorrows to the uncaring sky.

He did not really feel sad...no, he did not really know what he had felt, in those moments, and in the moments after. There was a numbness inside him. He had felt no special attachment to the Avatar, and he had no attachment to Sokka of the Water Tribe either. And yet as he watched her cry, he could not help but feel sorry, infinitely sorry, that both had died. And he could imagine her thoughts...both had died, and she had lived on.

It was one of those moments where you felt truly helpless at the face of what was happening, where you could not help but surrender to the tide, to the movement of the events that came towards you. You were lost, unguided, not knowing what to do.

He had approached her, and she did not acknowledge his presence, nor did she even turn to him. He did not touch her, but he sat beside her, kneeling in the pool of blood, kneeling beside the lifeless bodies on the ground, beside the grieving girl who was crying at their deaths. He continued to watch her, as she cried her heart out, and, at that moment of complete and utter grief, he felt his own tears begin to form. He did not know what to do, except watch her cry. He did not know what to say, but he had to say something, and so he said the words that came from his heart, the only words of comfort that he could think of, the only advice that he could give in the midst of the battlefield, in the presence of all that pain and grief and sorrow.

_Be strong_, he had said. _Be strong, and you will get through this_.

And now she would return to the Palace of Fire, where she had lost the two people she had loved most in the entire world.

Zuko felt sick, sick and tired of all this. This curse of the Fire Nation, the curse of his element, seemingly capable of only bringing grief to everyone and everything that came into contact with it. Fire burned indiscriminately, not choosing its victims, simply spreading and consuming everything around it. It tainted the very ground of the earth. It brought only destruction, to those who were entrusted with it, and to those who had nothing to do with it at all.

Did those fools who sat in the council of the Earth King not realise what they were asking Katara to do? They were sending her to the Fire Nation, to the very place where she had lost her brother and her friend. They were sending her to the home of the Fire Nation, that one Fire Nation that had brought her so much pain and misery. Her mother had died in a Fire Nation attack, her brother, and the one that she loved, had died at the hand of the Fire Lord, his father. And they expected her to do their bidding, to carry their self interests, to conduct their negotiations. They expected her to walk the halls of the Fire Nation, to set foot on the ground that had been stained by the blood of her brother and the Avatar.

And, for the first time in what seemed to be an eternity, but was in reality only a few weeks, Zuko felt the faint stirrings of doubt within him. Doubt at his decision to continue the Fire Nation rule on the conquered territories. He stood, and turned back to the window, but as he turned, his eyes fell on the emblem of the Fire Nation that hung behind him.

He was the Fire Lord, and he had to do what was best for his people, regardless of his feelings, even if his feelings told him otherwise.

He was the Fire Lord, no one else but him, and he had to do what he had to do, because no one else could do it but him.

The Fire Lord stood up, and glanced outside again, at the clouds in the sky, at the gardens before him, wishing once again that he was back on the flying bison, with his four unlikely travelling companions making fun of him. Beside him, Iroh stood and gazed out at the gardens, his hand resting on his nephew's shoulder, his mind travelling to happier times with Lu Ten and a younger, unscarred Zuko.

Two men, two generations, gazing out at the afternoon, a moment that was brief, yet priceless all the same.

* * *

The beaches of Kyoshi were beautiful, especially in the sunset, and there were a few places where you could sit and and watch the sun making its way down, as if sinking into the sea, giving way to the night, to the moon's ascent to the sky. The great dance of the sky, the fiery sun saluting the cold moon, that perfect point where night and day seemed to coexist in perfect harmony. 

Katara gazed out, the soft splashing of the waves hitting the shore the only sound at this time, a gentle, soothing harmony that lulled you to a sense of calmness, washing away the stresses of the day's activity, preparing you for the rest that only night could provide.

"So...how are you?" she asked the girl beside her. Suki was sitting by her on the sand, the Kyoshi warrior without her makeup and armour, dressed in simple robes. This was the first time they had been together, alone, since the funeral.

"I could ask you the same question," Suki replied, with a smile. She fell silent for a while, her eyes fixed at a point on the horizon, as distant as could be. For a moment, Katara thought that she had made a mistake in bringing up the subject, but then, Suki spoke again.

"I miss him. Very much."

"So do I."

The girls sat together, friends, bonded through mutual grief. "We sat here, looking out at the sunset, after training. He talked a lot, making jokes, boasting..."

"That's Sokka, all right," Katara laughed. "Back home...in the South Pole..." They lost themselves in recollections, painful, yet strangely comforting, as if talking about happier times made it less painful to remember. There had not been much time, or rather, there had not really been an opportunity, to do this, after the funeral. The grief was still raw, the wounds still open. Now, even after a few weeks, it had begun to heal, and talking about things helped the healing process onwards.

It was still not possible to talk without feeling any pain at all, but at least, this was a start in the right direction.

* * *

The young man, that patriot, who so loved his country, did not take the news of the Fire Lord's survival well. He had, in fact, broken down, almost weeping from the shock. After all, he had been so sure that Fire Lord Zuko was now the late Fire Lord Zuko, having joined his father in the deepest pits of hell. And now...his dreams of liberation was crushed. 

_No, not crushed...this was a mere setback, nothing more. So the Fire Lord is alive...but he is far away, and here, now, in Ba Sing Sei. you have a force of a hundred Earthbenders, and a thousand soldiers of the Earth Kingdom army_.

It was not an insidious voice, nor was it beguiling. In fact, it was neither sly as well. It made you believe that it felt for your cause, that your goals, and its goals, were the same; freedom to Ba Sing Sei. It made you feel as though you were still in control of the situation, when you really were not. It spoke with fervour and sincerity, and it said the exact words that a patriot wanted to hear. It was a voice you would trust.

This voice had a face, but the face was faceless, a mere speck in your memory, a nobody, because the plan, this plan, was yours alone. After all, you were the one who suggested demanding the surrender of the Fire Nation soldiers who were holed up in the palace, desecrating the sacred grounds of the palace, insulting the very history of the Earth Kingdom by their actions. You were the one who gathered the mob, who spread the news far and wide. You were the one who realised that you could seize the opportunity of another void in Fire Nation command to gain independance for your country.

And it was your idea to attack the Palace head on, with the might of an armed mob behind your back. After all, the Fire Lord would not have wanted another bloodshed like the earlier one, and he would have given strict orders that a mob not be attacked with such violence.

You wouldn't stop to think that maybe, just maybe, an armed mob would provoke an armed retalliation.

The mob gathered in front of the Fire Nation quarter thirsted for blood. They wanted their homes back, they wanted revenge for the atrocities committed against them.

And so they invaded within, breaking the cordons, sweeping past the guards in front of the Fire Nation quarter, pouring inside, like a vengeful flood, unstoppable, fully intent on destroying this Fire Nation abomination on their land.

Which was when the Fire Nation soldiers attacked from the rear. The tanks rolled onwards, ignoring the screams of the people that they crushed beneath their tracks, ignoring the howls of pain as they began to unleash fiery hell upon the mob.

You see, people, when aroused with righteous anger, could be quite destructive, and very rarely, especially considering the circumstances, would they actually stop and think before they acted. And the mob of people of Ba Sing Sei did not stop and think before they acted.

The Fire Nation soldiers were well within their rights to attack. After all, it was done in self defense. An unarmed mob could do serious damage to buildings and structures. An armed mob could kill. And so...in the name of the Fire Nation, in defense of the Fire Nation citizens who had settled in Ba Sing Sei...they would attack.

Firebenders marched behind the tanks, and then advanced at the forefront of those tanks, in attack formation, fanning out to clear the Fire Nation quarter of their unwanted visitors.

The palace mob recieved a similar fate, except that they did put up a much more organized fight. The former soldiers who made up the militia had some experience dealing with Fire Nation soldiers. But they were outmatched. Perhaps, if they had been led by a general, they would have been much more effective. But these were soldiers, of whom the highest ranking officers were sargeants and maybe a lieutenant here and there.

The Earthbenders were the first to attack, attempting to neutralise the tanks by upturning them, causing the ground beneath the iron monsters to rise up and throw them off. It worked, for several, but the Firebenders were called in to deal with the threat, as the tanks were pulled back to launch a barrage from the relative safety of the palace grounds.

It did not say much about the effectiveness of the Earth Kingdom army that they were unable even to reach the inner walls of the palace.

Perhaps, if they were facing only the Fire Nation, they would have succeeded. But the Fire Nation had Dai Li on their side.

The mob broke, screaming, stampeding over each other in their haste to get away. More people were killed trying to run away than those who actually fell at the hands of the Firebenders.

But by now, the soldiers who had been called in to deal with the mob in front of the Fire Nation quarter had forced that very same mob to rush towards the palace. And when the two mobs met, confusion ensued, and more people were killed. To escape, one would have to rush towards the incoming tanks and Firebenders, who had managed to trap them in a neat, pincer move...and the pincer was slowly closing in.

* * *

Over three hundred people had been killed, and a number of them arrested, including most of the leaders of the Resistance. The young man, who was willing to die for his country, had indeed died for his country. Such is the price of patriotism. 

Those arrested found themselves herded into prison carts and brought outside of the city...to Lake Laogai.

* * *

Azula sat on the Earth King's throne. The throne room had been an odd choice for a meeting, but the general staff had agreed, all the same. They were, to be honest, in no position to argue, with Azula. No one argued with Azula, unless one had a death wish. 

The old general who had suddenly found himself the spokesman for the 28th Brigada concluded his report, and kept his position, kneeling down on the polished floor. He did not dare leave, not until she had dismissed him. Azula had, within a few days, managed to crush a resistance that the general staff had hardly suspected to exist. And the way she had crushed it, with a faint smile on her face as she issued her orders, was simply far more cold and calculating than anyone had expected.

_She was born to rule_. The thought had come unbidden to his mind.

_This girl, this young woman, would make a great Fire Lord_.

* * *

**Author's Notes.**

**I think that the Zuko and his thoughts moment would serve as a Zutara moment without involving him suddenly expressing love or desire for her, and definitely without them being together. I dunno...it just seems like a Zutara moment to me. How did you guys like the Zuko moment? I thought it was well written myself, but of course I am a rather big headed person, and I am not exempt to self praise. Therefore I would really appreciate feedback on how I handled that part. I mean, this being my first fanfiction and all...I'm not too sure on how its supposed to go. And thank you for your reviews.**

**SEASON 3 IS PREMIERING TODAY!!!!! Or tomorrow, depending on where you are, really. I think its premiering 3 hours earlier in Canada, and I have a few friends who are fully intending on spoiling it for me. Then again, I've read the reviews and spoilers, so I pretty much know what's going to happen in the first episode. But then...SEASON 3 IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA.**

**Ahem.**

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.**

**I AM SO EXCITED!!!**

**Oh, and did I mention I'm really looking forward to watching it?**

**Because I am really looking forward to watching it.**

**Incidentally, check out the oneshots by this person...it'salreadycreeping. She's a brilliant writer. Very dramatic. And read The Shipping Wars by Aradia Lestat...funny.**

**Why aren't there many guys who write fanfics?**

**And yes, to the person who asked me...I am a girl, not a guy. The penname was supposed to be cool. It's not my real name. Sorgens Kammer is the title of a song I once heard...I think it's Norwegian.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own Avatar the Last Airbender…NOT.**

**Chapter 6**

The Palace of Fire stood silently in the night, a rising spire in the Fire Nation capital. The darkness was thick, almost thick enough that you could reach out and feel it. It was everywhere, invading every corner, every inch. The torches and lamps spluttered, and what little light they provided seemed to be swallowed up in the pervasive darkness. It was cold, and quiet, like a graveyard at midnight, which was not too far off, a mere two hours away.

No one walked the streets on nights like this. There was a feeling that you ought to be in your homes, in your beds, under the warm covers, as if the blankets and the walls of your house would protect you from the night, and the dangers it hid. No stray animals stirred. There was complete silence, a silence that could only come when a place was completely devoid of life. The sentries and guards who were supposed to be out on patrol did not do their duty, nor were they really severely encouraged by their immediate superiors to do so. This was not a night for honest work.

Nights like this were meant for dark business...dark hours for dark business.

* * *

The room was lit, but with that golden yellow shade that comes from torches and candlelight. The four men inside did not seem to mind in the least, although there were certainly more bigger rooms available to them. The table was covered with a huge map, and on this map were small figurines of various different colours. The map itself was supremely detailed, a remarkable feat considering the various geographical details that had to be covered. 

Fire Lord Zuko sipped his glass of wine, sampling the exquisite beverage with the air of an expert who had other things on his mind at the moment; a lack of outward appreciation for the taste of the wine, yet a detached approval at it. He gazed at the map, and then turned his eyes at the man beside him.

The other three men were dressed not in the soft robes that their Fire Lord wore, but in the padded robes of an officer in the field. One of them was also wearing his armour, the red metal plates glinting in the candlelight. There had been no time to change, and the thought of returning to his manor in the outskirts of the city was quickly rejected, the chances of his presence near the capital being discovered were too great. He would, however, be seeing his wife later, and she, being the consort of one of the most high ranking generals of the FIre Nation, knew the value of secrecy and silence. It was one of the reasons why he had married her.

"As at this moment, we have six brigadas positioned here," he pointed on the map, "and here, we have another four. The Navy has a small fleet here, and it will be easy for them to join the troops here. If we can load the soldiers up into those ships successfully, we will have a number of mobile brigadas, able to strike anywhere, just as soon as that fleet reaches open water. We have control over the seas, and once that fleet is in open water, it will be practically undetectable. We could move the troops anywhere along the coast of the Earth Kingdom without alerting them or their allies."

"This is a golden chance, Fire Lord," another officer said. He was also a general, but subordinate to the first one in terms of experience. "The movements of our troops would be hidden, and the Earth Kingdom will be caught unawares. We can choose to strike anytime and anywhere we wish."

Zuko glanced at the third man, but did not say anything. He did not have to, for his uncle knew him well enough to know what he wanted. The old man glanced at the map again, thinking deeply. "This would give us the oppurtunity to move those troops without alerting the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. But the sudden disappearence of those brigadas would immediately raise some suspicion in Kyoshi."

"If their disappearence is detected," the first general interjected. Iroh frowned. "To do this, you cannot take any chances. I agreed to this only with the assurance that losses...on both sides...will be kept as low as possible. Complete surprise must be achieved to make sure of this."

"I do not want the other nations to know of our troop movements. They are sending another ambassador here, and her stay will most likely be of some duration. If the troop movements are discovered, it would impair the negotiations." He made the word negotiations sound like a curse. Zuko took another sip of his wine. "Uncle is right. Utmost secrecy must be maintained."

"It will be difficult to disguise the movements of six brigadas, Fire Lord, but it can be done, slowly." The first general was silent for a moment, then pointed at another place on the map. "Here, we have two new battleships, the largest battleships in our fleet. They are not complete, but they can be put to water, and made to travel for some distance. The divisions could be removed on the pretext of crewing the two battleships. The movements of that fleet can also be disguised as an escort service for the two battleships, and so give us some excuse for the sudden fleet movements."

Zuko glanced once again at Iroh, who nodded. "That would work, assuming that there are no leaks from any personnel involved. If you are truly intent on your...plan, Zuko, then this is the way to do it." The old man looked grave, even slightly disapproving, but the Fire Lord knew that he had his uncle's full support.

_Thank you, Uncle_.

"Then do it, General. This operation will be placed under your command."

"And then there is the matter of expanding our existing borders..."

This was said guardedly, and greeted with silence, as each man stopped to see what the other would do. The two generals knew that Iroh was opposed to anything of the sort, and that the Fire Lord was undecided, to say the least.

"We have a golden opportunity here, with the arrival of the comet, to finally finish our conquests. We should seize this chance now," the first general said, watching the Fire Lord intently. The flame on the candles danced sporadically, and deep shadows shifted everywhere around the room. The Fire Lord's face was hidden in shadow, obscured from the sight of his companions, and his voice was still hoarse and guttural, a testament to the potency of the poison.

"If we were to advance now, we could easily seize several towns, making significant inroads to the next city of the Earth Kingdom. If we were to push south towards Kyoshi, we could coordinate an attack on the island from both sides of the sea, using our mobile brigadas for support. In any case, these brigadas have to be supported by supply lines should they be deployed, and a simultaneous attack would provide them with the supplies they need."

"You are suggesting that we invade Kyoshi, where the Earth King has his main headquarters?" Iroh exclaimed. "That would leave the invading army open to attacks from the rear, not to mention that pushing towards Kyoshi through the mainland without subduing the rest of the areas would leave our flanks unprotected. No, it cannot be done."

"Perhaps not," the first general agreed quickly, "But the fact remains...we are in a strong position now, strong enough to end this war once and for all."

"The Earth Kingdom army is still a potent force, Fire Lord," the second general added, addressing his Fire Lord directly. "I fear that this period of non-aggression would lead them to believe that we no longer have the will to fight, because of the death..." He trailed off, unsure now that he had strayed into unknown territory. The Fire Lord's feelings at his father's death, the father who had scarred him and exiled him, was still unknown. Some said he was happy, others said he was grieving. No one knew for sure, not even the palace staff, much less a general who was stationed in the front.

"Because of the death of my father," Zuko finished the general's sentence, his voice devoid of emotion, his face kept carefully impassive. The general nodded, still unsure, but felt compelled to continue.

"My estimates are that well over twenty thousand Earth Kingdom soldiers remain, and I cannot put an estimate upon the strength of their reserves. Should they choose to strike now...I cannot say how it will end. You will remember the Day of Black Sun, Fire Lord. The uprisings...it was lucky that our main armed troops were able to put them down, and that the main impetus of the Earth Kingdom assault was bogged down in most parts."

"Even now, the conquered territories are restless. Ba Sing Sei was on the verge of rebellion...Should we seize the initiative now, Fire Lord, we can break their spirits down completely, and achieve total victory." The first general sat back, having said his piece. It was out in the open, that one unstated reason why this secret meeting was called.

He did not know what the Fire Lord wanted. Zuko was different from his father, and his grandfather. An unknown factor, difficult to predict. His exile had led him throughout the Earth Kingdom and even to the North and South Poles. His opinions were formed with remarkable influence by his uncle, and to a great extent, his experiences outside the Fire Nation, and with the Avatar and his friends.

No, no one knew what Zuko wanted. Perhaps not even the Fire Lord himself.

If it was Princess Azula...invasion would definitely be on the cards. But the Princess of the Fire Nation, long seen as the only possible successor to her father, had instead relegated herself, or been relegated, to a role on the sidelines. No one knew why. No one really cared to speculate.

But Zuko offered a different leadership, one based on something different from what the generals and admirals and the newly created post of Air Marshals were used to. He did not seek to rule by fear. He respected their opinions, and he did not intimidate. There was a certain freedom now, a loosening of an unseen noose around one's neck, knowing that your opinion could be given freely, sometimes even bluntly, and you would not be flamed for doing so.

Azula would have ruled like her father. Zuko would not. And that, was a welcome change.

His uncle would not agree, and Zuko knew that if he were to say anything in support of the general's statement now, his uncle would respond, and the Fire Lord did not want a public scene in front of two high ranking members of the Fire Nation army. He glanced at his uncle, who was watching him carefully, waiting to respond, Zuko knew.

He had to choose his words carefully.

"There is no immediate need for a decision on that matter at the moment," he began, carefully thinking ahead. "This meeting was called for you to give me a first hand account of the situation on the fronts. That has been taken care off. It is late, and I believe that your wife awaits, General."

The meeting was adjourned, and the two generals left, one to be escorted to his wife, and then back to the front, and the other to be sent to Ba Sing Sei with the full details of the meeting, to be given to Princess Azula for her inspection.

* * *

"We cannot rely entirely on negotiations," the Earth Kingdom minister said. "The Earth King is too soft...his...exposure...to the general populace has given him some strange ideas." 

"Indeed. We must be prepared to use force to regain our territories. Negotiations can only take us so far," another man agreed. There were a number of them here, all of them close confidents of each other, and while most of them were members of the military, there were a few who were members of the Earth King's inner circle.

They were all men who sought an end to the current dilemma that was presented before them. The Earth Kingdom armies were still a substantial force, almost numbering over fifty thousand men in total. Added to this was the Water Tribesmen and their ships, which, while not able to rival the Fire Nation navy's ironclads in combat, could certainly launch quick strikes and retreat before an effective pursuit could be organized.

The Allied armies were still a potent force, not to be discounted entirely. It was, in the general opinions of the men gathered here, the leadership that was the one who was impotent.

"We have no guarantees that the Fire Nation will not attack. This 'cease in aggressive action', as the Fire Lord puts it, cannot last long. Look at Ba Sing Sei! The Fire Nation does not feel any compulsion to honour their own treaty, so why should we honour it in our turn?"

There was a general murmur of agreement. "The Fire Nation is the main problem. We should dedicate our efforts to destroying them, not accomodating them!" Again, there was approval, abetted by a few comments in support of that statement, and one or two with derogatary terms concerning the Fire Nation, and, in particular, Fire Lord Zuko.

"We should begin by making sure that we have the generals on our side..." The conversation went on and on, and the subjects were no longer of interest to the man, who sat and observed and made small but necessary comments in aiding the conversation flow to the direction which he wanted it to go.

_Soon...soon, I will have them speak of open rebellion to the Earth King_. But not yet, not yet. _Do not push things too far_, his benefactor had told him, _and do not push things too fast. Even fools with grievances will suspect something if you do that_.

His conscience would have troubled him, if it existed. It probably did, but it was covered under all that gold.

* * *

The ship was huge, remarkably so, and its iron hull was thick enough that even under bombardment of its escorts, it would hardly be troubled. It was also remarkably fast for its size, able to move at the same speed as a smaller destroyer. The small fleet was called a pack, and it consisted of a battleship and four destroyers. The battleship was of course the larger vessel, and its escorts were dwarfed by it. The 'pack' worked with a system that was remarkably simple and yet just as remarkably effective. Two destryers would scout ahead, and one destroyer would protect the rear. Another would sail side by side with the battleship, just in case a boarding by a smaller vessel was to be attempted. 

In combat, the destroyers would engage the enemy at first, trying to encircle and slow it down, until the enemy vessel was in range of the massive battleship. And then...the outcome was always the same, in any case. Their targets were often the larger vessels of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe navies, for the smaller vessels were too quick for the battleship to engage in, and quite often, required only one destroyer to deal with it.

But now, with the onset of peace, or rather, this period of protracted calm, for no peace accord had been formally signed, nor proposed by either side, there was little to do but sail around in the hopes of scoring the odd pirate ship.

Her name was the Akagi, sailing under the command of a captain with one of the most distinguished service records in the Fire Nation navy. And now, he was to add another milestone to his repertoire...a milestone that he did not particularly want.

Escort duty.

The Fire Nation ships lined up to receive the Earth Kingdom vessel, the Akagi in the middle, and two destroyers flanking her on either side. The captain stood on the bridge, his flagsman and the helmsman the only other two in the room. He turned to the flagman, a young man, who had served with him for over five years, and nodded. The man saluted in reply, and his unsaid orders were obeyed with military, or rather, naval precision. The flags were raised, and two destroyers, the ones closest to the Akagi, moved forward to intercept the Earth Kingdom vessel. From his vantage point, the captain could see the ship in its entirety, noting the outward appearance as a cargo vessel, and, more importantly, the reduced bullwarks that meant that she was meant for speed, not cargo. It was no wonder, he reflected, that the two Fire Nation scout ships ordered to follow her, in case of any sudden occurences, such as a veering off course, an unlikely matter, considering her captain and the importance of her 'cargo', or, more probably, an unscheduled stop; the assassination attempt on Fire Lord Zuko was still fresh on everyone's minds, could not successfully conduct her mission, having lost her after two days on her trail.

The fact that her movements had not been plotted out meant that other countermeasures had to be taken, and it fell on the Akagi and her escorts to enforce them.

The destroyers moved on either side of the Earth Kingdom vessel, moving at the same speed, almost abreast with each other. Their Firebenders lined the sides, their armour glistening under the afternoon sun. The other two destroyers moved behind the Akagi, protecting her rear...even at times like this, it did not pay to be careless. The captain of the Akagi had not survived twenty years of naval campaigns by allowing himself to be lulled into a false sense of security, even now, deep as they were in Fire Nation waters, a mere ten miles off the coastal regions, and the many shipyards that served as bases for the Fire Nation Navy.

"Give the order, and make sure that she can see it," the captain barked, and again, as always, he was obeyed. he had really not expected it to be otherwise.

* * *

"Prepare to be boarded," the flagsman said, his eyes fixed on the emerging flags on board the Akagi, and the two destroyers on either side of her. He turned to his captain, a grizzled old man who stared stone faced at the battleship in front of him. He was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking hard. 

"Summon the ambassador to the deck," he said finally, "And send out a signal of our own...'Hold fast until reply'."

It was quick, for Katara had been in her usual place at the stern, and she had watched the approach of the Fire Nation vessels. She was, in any case, already making her way to the bridge, and so met the messenger sent to summon her.

"They will board us," the captain said immediately, not bothering for any preliminary greetings of any sort. "THis is a diplomatic ship," Katara replied, "They have no authority."

'They seem to think that they do. Those Firebenders are their authority."

"Another signal, captain," the flagsman said suddenly. "Commander to board."

"The captain wishes to board us himself," the old man mused. "Very well, prepare for him."

Katara said nothing. This was the captain's decision, and she had no objections, knowing full well that refusal could result in a premature return to Kyoshi, and failure to even begin her mission.

* * *

"I have my orders. Your ship is to be searched before you proceed. Precautionary measures have to be taken." The captain of the Akagi stood, straight and smart, his entire posture was of a person who would not be budged under any circumstances. It was, on the whole, entirely useless to argue with him. 

"The other diplomatic ships before this were not subjected to any searches. Why should we be any different?"

"Surely you know the reason to that, Captain. There is no need for this tiresome discussion, is there? You will subject yourself to a thorough search, and your men will be disarmed. Only then will you proceed, under our escort, of course."

"Of course," his Earth Kingdom counterpart replied bitterly.

"The ambassador's room, of course, will be searched only with her permission. General Iroh has allowed that one concession. He also wishes to convey his apologies for this inconvenience, but, as I have said before, suitable measures have to be taken."

_So Iroh was responsible for this_, Katara thought. It fitted, she realised. Who else would be trusted with the Fire Lord's security than the one man who had cared for him for so long? It made it a little easier to accept the conditions placed upon her. A very little.

It did, however, tell her something; the Dragon of the West held a lot of influence in the workings of the Fire Nation. They had become friends, during that short period when Zuko and Iroh had travelled with them. Indeed, Iroh was remarkably likeable.There was a certain quality about him that made you trust him almost immediately.

She was looking forward to it, in a way. Life back at the South Pole had been welcome, but it had been dull. Even she was willing to admit that to herself, if only rarely, and in private.

The realisation that she was returning to where Sokka and Aang had lost their lives was carefully avoided.

* * *

The Throne of Fire burned, and the flames rose at his will. The Fire Lord sat on his throne, watching the flames weave their intricate dance, swirling up around him, a curtain of pure fire, wild, and yet controlled, subject to his will. 

He felt, strangely enough, nervous. Nervous at the arrival of the ambassador of the Earth King. Katara of the Water Tribe.

Peasant, he had called her once. How far he had come since then. How far they had both come. The turn of events were wildly unpredictable, and even he could not have imagined that he would one day receive her in the Fire Nation as the Fire Lord.

Especially not when he was threatening her with the pirates, he thought with a brief smile. But the humour was gone as quickly as it came, and he reasserted himself. He was the Fire Lord, and he would have to do what he would have to do.

He could not fail his people. And so, now, he could not allow himself to be taken in with her arguments. What he could do was extend the negotiations to make the Earth King and his allies think that perhaps they might have a chance at securing their aims and bringing about peace at the same time.

There could be no peace, not until every inch of land laid under the banner of the Fire Nation. Of that, he was sure.

He had betrayed her once, and now he would lead her on, and betray her once again.

And so the Fire Lord prepared himself to meet his adversary and ally...

...As the Throne of Fire burned once more.

* * *

**Author's Note.**

**Well, I've been busy, so I'll be updating weekly. One chapter a week. I promise.**

**So soon...soon, Zuko and Katara will finally meet. And no, there will not be instantaneous Zutara. I'm not entirely sure on how I'm even going to bring Zutara about. But depend on it, there will be Zutara in this story.**

**And, because it is integral to the story, there will be more discussions about strategy and whatnot. And I would love your feedback on the strategies I have put forward, and also, feel free to suggest anything to me, especially concerning future campaigns against the Earth Kingdom and such.**

**I feel like this has become more of a political thriller instead of a love story.**

**And, as much as I hate to admit it, the Maiko kiss in the first episode...was strangely sweet.**

**I feel like I have betrayed all that I believe in.**

**In this week's episode...Zuko and Iroh meet each other again...Emo-ness to ensue for sure... **

**Oh, and Zuko is way, way, way, hotter than Aang will ever be.**

**And Ozai is...I can't believe I'm saying this...hot as hell.**

**Yuck...must clean mouth. **

**Oh, and thanks for reading!! **


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Not only do I not own Avatar the Last Airbender, but I also do not own enough money to go to Japan for the holidays.**

**Chapter 7**

There is a story, an old story, that tells of two people who were in love. It was not unrequited love on either side, but a mutual passion that transpired the moment each person set eyes on the other. It was, frankly, love at first sight. A whirlwind romance, tempered by storms that they both weathered; perhaps the boy was called to fight in a war, or perhaps the girl would be entrapped within a previously arranged marriage contract. In both of those types of stories, there would inevitably be tears and secret meetings and a scene involving a chase along long winding corridors. But, of course, in the end, it was inevitable that the boy and girl would end up together, whether alive or dead, the former being a bonus, of course. After all, tragic love stories are sad and yet so very addictive, a drug that we keep returning to no matter how sad we feel after reading it.

* * *

"Welcome." 

The Throne of Fire was as splendid as she remembered, the fire dancing around it, a curtain to shield the Fire Lord from view. Katara had never really understood its purpose, but she suspected that it was symbolic, designed to strike fear and terror and awe in the hearts of those present. It served to create a visible barrier between ruler and subject, master and slave, Fire Lord and commoner.

"Fire Lord Zuko," she said in reply, and bowed. She noticed that her escorts, the Kyoshi warriors and the palace guards, as well as the palace fuctionary who had led them to the throne room and announced her presence to the room's sole occupant, had left discreetly. It was only her...and him.

"It is an honour to welcome you to the Fire Nation." His voice was different, harsh, guttural, different from what she remembered. It was...what, two months ago, since she had last seen him? She couldn't really remember...it was at his coronation. That was when she had last seen him, when exiled Prince had turned into sovereign Lord, when the curtain of fire had parted to welcome him into his throne, and closed as if to hide him from the world again.

"It is an honour to be here," she replied. The words they exchanged were formal, standard diplomatic conversation. They felt strange to her, an alien tongue. This entire scenario seemed peculiarly absurd, as if they were both playing out a children's game of make believe.

"Is it really?" he asked, and for a moment, it seemed as if he was making a joke, a lighthearted statement. She could almost imagine him smile.

"I heard about the blockade...it was neccessary, I'm afraid. The recent incident has left a certain...imprint upon us all. Precautions have to be taken."

"It was nothing, Fire Lord. A slight inconvenience, nothing more."

_You brought it upon yourself_. She wanted to say it, but she held her tongue. It was unkind, she knew, and yet she could not help feeling it.

She was angry. Angry at having to be here, angry at him, for not withdrawing his soldiers, for not ending the war that had taken so much from her already.

She was angry at him for making Aang's sacrifice seem in vain.

The flames rose, swirling in the air, and Katara stood, transfixed, watching the sight before her. The warmth seemed to wash over her, a blazing wave of heat, and it took all her self control not to unstopper her flask and bend a barrier of ice before her body. The wall of fire rose to the ceiling, momentarily threatening to get out of control, to unleash its fury upon the room.

And then the flames parted, and Fire Lord Zuko stepped out.

* * *

"So, they are sending the Water Peasant to negotiate with my brother." Princess Azula leaned back on the throne, her legs perched lazily on one armrest, her body reclining. "How...interesting," she smiled, glancing at her nails. 

The general knelt, keeping his head down, forehead almost touching the ground. There was a certain unease that you felt when you were around Azula, an inexplicable feeling of tension, a heightened state of awareness, if you will, as if you were mentally preparing yourself to run. Or at least jump up and obey her every command.

She was a terrifying person.

She regarded him for a while, as if deciding something, and the general swallowed, desperately trying to convince himself that he had done nothing wrong, that he was merely a messenger, and that the news that he bore was not bad news at all. Or at least, it did not seem to be bad news to him.

"You are dismissed," she said then, and gratefully, he scuttled away.

"Mai, Ty Lee, you can come out now." Azula straightened, and stood, clasping her hands behind her back. Her two friends appeared out from behind the walls; Mai leaning disinterestedly on the wall, her usual pose, and Ty Lee positively buzzing with energy as he somersaulted towards her friend. Azula mentally made a note to chain her hands and legs together soon.

"So, what's the plan now?" Mai asked, and Azula thought that she could hear a tone of some interest in her friend's voice. It was to be expected, after all...anything with Zuko in it was bound to interest the normally disinterested Mai.

"We return to the Fire Nation, of course. Our work here is done. Long Feng can handle the rest in Ba Sing Sei."

"Are you worried that the water peasant might change Zuko's mind?" Ty Lee asked, her eyes widening artfully, and Azula once again resisted the urge to shake her friend out of pure frustration.

"Zuzu won't change his mind that easily, but with Uncle still there...he needs someone to balance the scales for him," Azula replied, and then smiled at the thought of her next sentence.

"Believe it or not, Zuko, I'm looking out for you."

* * *

"The Earth King wants me to convey his deepest sympathies for the recent...'incident', and hopes that those responsible will be brought to justice soon." 

"Does he really?" Zuko asked, stepping down from the pedestal, his eyes watching her. She had not really changed much, he noticed. He held her gaze, moving towards her, his steps slow and measured. "I would have assumed that the Earth King, and the Earth Kingdom, would rejoice if the assassination attempt had been successful."

Katara said nothing. He was baiting her, she knew, waiting to see how she would respond. And so she kept her eyes on his, holding his gaze firmly, holding her ground, refusing to back away even though he was slowly approaching her. She would not allow him to intimidate her.

He stopped, a few steps from her, and his face held a strange half smile. "We did not have the chance to talk after the coronation," he said suddenly, "You left rather quickly."

"There was a storm, and I wanted to return home as fast as I could," she replied, thrown at the sudden change in the topic of their conversation. There were other reasons, of course. Other reasons that she did not want to think about...would not think about. She pushed those thoughts away from her mind quickly, but something, a glimmer of the pain that she had felt, and still felt, day in and day out, must have shown on her face, for the smile suddenly appeared to be sympathetic.

"I am sorry that you had to come here, of all places..." he waved his hands out aimlessly, gesturing at the surroundings. "It must be difficult," he continued, "to return here once again."

_How dare you?_ She felt like screaming, and it took all of the self control that she could muster not to allow those tears to begin forming in her eyes again. She turned away...how could she not? The smile on his face, the robes that he wore...the crown on his head...it brought back those memories again, the ones that had haunted her dreams in those first few days after...after...no, she would not think about it. She would not show weakness, not in front of him.

_Be strong_, he had said. _Be strong, and you will get through this_.

"I'm sorry..." he turned his back to her, walking away. "I should not have brought it up."

Silence followed, the sort of silence that you dearly wanted to be broken. An uncomfortable silence, where every second seemed to take an eternity to pass. She struggled with herself, trying to reform her thoughts.

"When shall we begin the negotiations?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation into a topic that was less painful. Privately, she hoped that he would go with it.

"Tomorrow, when you are rested," he replied, to her relief. "It was a long journey, I know. Rooms have been prepared for you and your escorts. In the meantime...tonight, an official dinner will be held. I...hope that you will attend. Someone will show you to your rooms. I hope that you will find them suitable."

She had been dismissed, and she knew it, and she had no desire to press on with the conversation. She was tired, and...She sighed, and bowed. "Thank you, Fire Lord."

He watched her leave, his face inscrutable, and yet his lips formed in a peculiar half smile. Whether it was still the same sympathetic smile or not, she could not tell.

Zuko turned, and leaned heavily against one of the gold pillars. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly, trying to calm himself, trying to drive that sickening feeling that he felt inside.

He disgusted himself.

He had led her on, purposely bringing up that one topic, trying to gauge her mood, probing, keeping her off balance. It was despicable of him, that much he knew.

It was not honourable.

The Fire Lord turned, and his gaze fell on the giant banner bearing the standard of the Fire Nation once again. He was the Fire Lord, and he would do what he had to do. For the good of his people. For the Fire Nation.

The flames rose again to welcome the Fire Lord into their fiery embrace, and the Throne of Fire burned with an intensity it had never felt before.

If only Thrones could feel, of course. But thrones were cold, unfeeling, unemotional. The Throne of Fire, as hot as the deepest pits of the volcanic mountains of the Fire Nation, was in fact as cold as ice.

And so the Throne of Fire burned once more.

* * *

It was one of the many outposts that stood along the eastern fronts of Earth Kingdom territory. There were over a hundred such outposts, garrisoned by troops numbering no more than fifty, dotting the boundaries that separated conquered territory and free territory. The soldiers who were posted there were a mixture of young, unblooded soldiers and a small number of veterans that continuously changed as men took advantage of the uneasy peace, or cease of hostilities, to return home to see wives they had not met for months...in some cases, even years. 

The building, the main headquarters of the outpost, was not an imposing structure. It paled in comparison to the other military installations and even most civillian buildings, but it was the only one in a ten mile radius, and so doubtless attracted some attention, especially with the various fortifications, which were well constructed, designed especially to withstand attacks from Earthbenders, who were the main force in the enemy. The Fire Nation military planners were no fools. Constructing your headquarters from stone, rock and earth was an enticing invitation to any Earthbender to attack. It was a three tiered structure with a central keep large enough for the fifty odd troops to assemble every morning. The quarters were, strangely enough, fairly comfortable. After all, if you were going to be staying here for a long time, it seems only logical that you try and make your stay as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

The lookout, an aging man of sixty who still had the best pair of eyes in the entire company, glanced out from his vantage point, to see the telltale signs of an approaching tank. The cloud of dust and the smoke that rose made it very hard to miss. He signalled to the men manning the gates, and they swung open to admit the metal beast.

The general stepped out, glancing distastefully at his surroundings, already sweating in his armour. Last night had been quite a night...he smiled. Absence did make the heart grow fonder, it would seem, as shown by the 'affection' from his wife. It had been almost six months since they had last seen each other, and, thanks to his clandestine meeting with the Fire Lord, he had been given the oppurtunity to meet with her again.

And now he was back here, in this godforsaken outpost. Again.

"Anything new?" he grunted at his second in command, who had scurried up to meet his commander. The man, almost twenty years younger, shook his head. "Nothing, General. Quiet, as always."

"Good." The general did not like surprises, especially not now, when he had an operation to plan. Of course, he wasn't really expecting anything to happen.

He walked to his office, returning the salutes and greetings that came his way with a curt nod. His armour was boiling him, and, once in the privacy of the office, he locked the door and gratefully unbuckled the breastplate, throwing it unceremoniously on one of the chairs. He moved to one of the side tables and reached for the only decanter of wine there, mentally cursing himself for not bringing another bottle back with him.

He sat down, glass in hand, staring at the map before him. His eyes flicked over the mountain ranges to the coast, where, he knew, there were six brigadas simply sitting down, doing meaningless drills and training over and over again. Cooling their heels, as much as one could be cool in this wretched heat, anyway.

In any case, he had been ordered to await new orders before his departure to the shipyards, where he would be seen taking command of the two battleships. It was imperative that he be seen giving orders for those ships to leave dock.

It seemed unlikely that he would be seeing his wife anytime soon, anyway. Ah well, that is what memories are for.

He did not really know when the new orders would come, although he had a feeling that they would come soon. In any case, he already knew what those orders were.

There was a knock on the door, and the general stood, deciding not to rebuckle his armour again. He opened the door, and his lieutenant came in.

"A messenger hawk, General," the man said respectfully, passing a sealed envelope to him. The general nodded and pointedly waited until the man had left, before locking the door once again. Only then did he sit down, unhurried, and finished sipping the wine, the letter on the table before him, lying on the map, partly obscuring the islands of the Earth Kingdom.

He opened it.

When he had finished reading the letter, he sighed, and placed it back down, carefully, on the table top.

Prince Zuko...now Fire Lord Zuko. A supremely interesting character indeed. Who would have thought that so young a boy could so quickly grow into a man.

He called the lieutenant, and his second in command, as well as two clerks. While waiting for them, he placed his armour back on again, taking a last sip of wine in the process.

"Send the order out to the men. Tell them to prepare to move out."

_And I have to begin packing myself_.

* * *

The mobilisation of the Fire Nation army who had perched on the frontiers of the Earth Kingdom for over two months was to be done remarkably quickly. After all, it was not simply a matter of picking up your gear and marching ahead. There were supply lines to prepare, companies to be formed and reformed, scouts and reconnaissance units to be sent ahead. 

There was a sense of urgency to this haste, after all. The Fire Lord, in his letter to all the generals of the various brigadas poised to strike into the remaining territories of the Earth Kingdom, imparted just as much.

The outposts would be reinforced by new soldiers, and those who had previously manned them would join up and reform their old brigadas. Cavalry would begin the advance, followed by the main body of infantry, and bringing up the rear would be the tanks and the supply trains. An advance of ten miles into enemy territory had been ordered. Urgency was needed so that the Earth Kingdom would not be able to mobilise their forces quickly enough, allowing little resistance that could be classified as mere border disputes.

The cavalry was made up mostly by rhinoceros and their riders, but there were a fair amount of war ostriches, a lighter and quicker unit, able to move out forward faster than the rhinos themselves. These were the units at the actual tip of the advancing Fire Nation armies, their riders lightly armoured, ranging ahead of the rest.

The advancing armies made steady progress, encountering little, if any, resistance. Five miles passed without any incident involving the enemy, although there was an incident involving an apparently drunk rhino and a tree, which was censored from the official records, probably because the brigada historian did not actually believe that it did happen.

Ten miles passed with the Fire Nation forces not even seeing a single enemy soldier. And as evening fell, the Fire Nation had gained ten miles more of Earth Kingdom, or as it was called rather laconically by most of the Earth Kingdom peoples themselves, free land.

* * *

The room was peculiarly feminine. The furniture was cushioned in soft red, and the broad windows had filmy curtains of a light crimson colour. Beyond the windows, just outside, in fact, lay a beautifully tended garden, well embraced by the tall spires of this wing of the bleak and overwhelmingly red palace. A cheery fire crackled in the half moon arch of a broad fireplace, even though it was still afternoon. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Suki said, as she entered, and Katara nodded. "This room was designed by Fire Lady Ursa herself," the servant who had accompanied them said helpfully. "It was built a few months before her..." he trailed off, and after a brief period of silence, turned his attention to the porters who were carrying their luggage in.

"Zuko had a mother?" Suki whispered to Katara, who merely smiled. The Kyoshi warrior meant it in jest, and that was exactly how Katara was going to take it.

Yes...he had a mother.

_The Fire Nation took my mother away from me._

_I'm sorry...that's something we have in common_.

The servant was still hovering nervously, and Katara glanced at him. "Yes?" she asked.

"The Fire Lord wishes to know if you will be attending the function tonight, my ladies," he said, watching them. Katara glanced at Suki, who shrugged. _It's up to you_.

"Tell the Fire Lord that we will attend."

The servant bowed and left, and they were left alone. Suki sat on the bed, glancing around. "It's a nice room," she said, offhandedly. "Did you meet with the Fire Lord?"

"Yes."

"And what happened?"

"The negotiations will begin tomorrow," Katara replied, moving to the dressing table and sitting down by it, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She reached out and touched her hair, moving a stray lock back into place. As she did so, her gaze fell on the reflection of the Water Tribe necklace around her neck, and, involuntarily, the hand that had so recently been occupied with her hair moved to touch the necklace.

_I miss you, Mother_.

Suki stood, and moved to the window, glancing at the garden outside. Her eyes moved everywhere, distant and unseeing. "Do you know..." she began, and stopped herself, blinking her eyes to force the tears back before they came and flooded her face.

"Do I know...oh." Realization dawned on Katara's face, and she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the fresh stab of pain in her chest. She stood, and moved by her friend. Their shoulders briefly touched as both girls stood outside, gazing at the garden before them.

"It's not here...I think Zuko had it demolished and sealed up," Katara said quietly, her lips moving quickly, as if by saying it quickly, the pain could in some way be lessened. Suki nodded almost imperceptibly. "I just thought that...maybe..." she trailed off, and turned away, moving to the chest that held her clothes.

"We should get ready for tonight," she said, slipping off the lock and opening the chest, glancing at the neatly folded clothes inside.

"You know..."she said with exaggerated girlishness, "I simply don't have a single thing to wear."

Katara laughed, and Suki laughed with her. It seemed like the first time either of them had laughed in such a long time. And, as a matter of fact, it was.

* * *

"We've just received word from your sister. Azula is on her way back. She might even reach tonight." 

Zuko did not move, did not give any indication that he had heard his uncle. The Fire Lord gazed at the palace gardens, then shifted his eyes to the skies above, feeling the gentle heat wash over his face.

Iroh watched his nephew's lack of response, instinctively knowing that something was wrong. The old man moved to the table, reaching forward and pouring out the contents of the teapot unto the carpet that lined the sides of the room, before placing a generous pinch of dried tea leaves from a small satchel in his pocket. He picked up the water jug, and carefully tasted the water, waiting for a few seconds before he poured it into the pot.

'Tea, Zuko?" he asked, and lifted a steaming cup to his lips.

The Fire Lord turned and regarded his uncle silently, a faint smile on his lips. "Not poisoned, is it, Uncle?" he joked, and the smile widened. Then, far quicker than it had appeared, it disappeared, and Zuko sat down.

"I'm tired, Uncle."

"You have been working too hard, Zuko. After all, you have only just recovered. You should take some time off, relax a little. It will do you a lot of good."

"Not tired, Uncle. Just...tired." Zuko leaned back in his chair, his eyes moving to the ceiling. "I'm tired of this. Tired of this palace. Tired of the servants around me. I'm tired of ruling."

"There was a time when ruling was all you could think about."

"There was a time when I would have put that Water Tribe girl in irons the moment I saw her," Zuko shot back, and sank back into the chair again.

"I'm tired of being alone, Uncle."

"I know what you mean, Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh replied, taking another sip of tea.

* * *

Author's Note

Hello again. Another chapter done, and the next one will hopefully involve a little more Zutara. I would have uploaded it sooner, but I've been having trouble with my stupid computer.

Incidentally, I have exams coming, so I don't know if I am going to be able to upload as quickly as I want to. Sorry about that. I've got Mathematics next Wednesday...and I am not ready for it at all.

Oh. God.

I thought the Painted Lady episode would have been about Suki. Still nothing about her this season. I really, really hope that she is not...you know...dead. Because that would be really really sad.

Once again, I have to say it, because I still cannot believe it myself...OZAI IS HOT.

Thanks for reading, and do let me know what you think.

Bye for now!

P.S: I've only just discovered the wonders of XDXDXDXDXDXDXD. Sad, but true.

Bye!


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last Airbender, nor is anyone ever going to think that I do.**

Chapter 8

It was raining again. He glanced at the skies, cold and dark, slowly becoming blacker and blacker as the night approached. There was a strong wind howling outside. He could hear it, feel the fierce lash of rain and air on his face as he stared out the window. He could see the trees swaying, bending to the wind's insistent command, a deadly dance that could, and would, ultimately result in the tree being torn from its roots, to lie on the ground, surrounded by displaced earth and soil, still alive, but immobile, doomed to lie in wait for death's cold embrace to slowly steal the green from its leaves, fated to end up as firewood, or at worst, a rotting log on the ground.

He smiled grimly, a little surprised at his thoughts. "Such melancholy," he mused, reaching forward with his right hand to pull the windows shut, the glass now separating him from the world outside. Just as the palace walls kept the world outside at bay, imprisoning him in the shadowy intrigues of politics and ruling that came with his throne. The Throne of Fire.

Tradition and law bound him, constrained him. Responsibility, to his people, to the honour of his family. A heavy burden to be carried, but there was no one else who could.

No, the word was not 'could'. Not 'no one else who could'. Rather, it was 'no one else who should'.

The Fire Lord gazed at the portrait on the table, a small smile on his lips. His eyes were distant...wistful. And tinged with pain, pain of a loss indescribable. His heart burned with hate and rage. And grief. He could never forget the grief. It was always there, that sense of loss, of regret.

_Pain will be your teacher._

_As it was mine._

He sighed heavily, moving back to the window, looking out at the darkness, the rain lashing on the glass...a man for a moment, but now a Fire Lord, as cold and distant as ice, the cruel facade hiding the fire that raged through his heart.

"Father," an insistent voice behind him said. He turned, his face impassive, all thoughts of the woman he had lost banished from his mind. "What is it, Azula?"

"It's Zuko...he..."

The Fire Lord turned away, his daughter's voice going on and on. He was only half listening to her, because he knew that it was always the same thing, and that his response would be the same response he had always given.

"Tell your brother that I want to see him."

It was strangely fascinating...how each and every choice that you make in life will one day come back to haunt you. Destiny was made up of little things...a seemingly innocuous choice here, a major decision there...how strange it was that it would be Ursa, and not him, who would ultimately make that one decision, and not only that, to act on that decision, to accomplish that one goal that he had dedicated most of his life to.

And all to save one boy.

He should leave thoughts like these to Iroh...his brother was better suited to contemplate life's mysteries, not him. Iroh. Now there was a man who would not have made a good Fire Lord. He could not see the bigger picture, the greater goal. His life had revolved not around duty, but around family. First, his wife...and then, Lu Ten. Iroh was a broken man now...the Fire Lord closed his eyes, driving away the pity from his heart before it could take root. He could not allow for weakness. And compassion, even for your brother, was weakness.

Love...love was also a weakness. And now he had lost love. He had lost it forever. He had lost love...for pain. And what was pain, then?

_Pain will be your teacher_.

Fire Lord Ozai closed his eyes, and turned away to the window again, lost in thought of the woman he had lost forever, to save the son he would soon lose.

* * *

He was standing at the foot of the portrait, his hands clasped behind his back, shifting his weight on one leg, his head tilted upwards. The Fire Lord gazed at the portrait, commissioned at a time that seemed like an eternity away. He smiled, his eyes distant, as he gazed at his mother. Beautiful, serene, calm and immutable. Perfection in his eyes. His smiled disappeared, but not entirely, as his eyes shifted to his father. Strong, silent, forbidding, a stern look on his face. But his eyes...his eyes told a whole different story. 

Zuko smirked, now turning his attention to Azula. She was still as haughty as ever, the arrogance that came with her station as royalty, even though Father had not been Fire Lord at the time, not even the heir apparent. It had been Uncle Iroh at the time...when Lu Ten had been alive.

The Fire Lord sighed, and walked away, head bowed low.

_Were we really like that, once? A family?_ He smiled bitterly. A _family_. The word carried a certain amount of irony with it, considering all that had happened to him, to them.

_Azula was born lucky. You were lucky to be born._

_But who is on the throne now, Father? Your lucky daughter...or me?_

He walked along the hallways of the palace, glancing around half heartedly, mostly for something to do rather than any particular desire to take in the overwhelming opulence and overbearing presence of crimson of his palace. He needed a walk, needed to clear his head...feeling slightly suffocated in his study, by the continuous presence of the scrolls on the tables, by the maps on the walls that seemed to enfold upon him, threatening to cover and strangle him.

He was tired. That much he would admit to himself. All these plans, all these plots...he was never one for the intricacies of politics, always having kept aloof from the complexities of palace politics. Of course, being banished helped in that, he thought wryly.

No...international politics was a whole lot more complex. And he was playing it all the same.

Did he want to continue this war? Honestly, he did not know. There was always two sides to everything. Two sides...

Black and white. Yin and Yang. Fire and Water. Tui and La.

War and Peace.

Was continuing the war the right thing to do? He did not know. Nor did he ever hope to find an answer to that question. Could he justify continuing the war that had already brought so much suffering and pain on so many people?

He did not know.

_Why continue the war?_ Perhaps that was the wrong question to ask. The Fire Lord paused, glancing at the huge windows, his gaze moving through the thick glass to the gardens outside. The gardens were doing remarkably well this year, as if they too could sense the change of atmosphere in the palace.

He remembered the gardens well. His mother had loved the gardens...she had taken a personal interest in their cultivation. The effort that she had put into them...it was as if she was seeking her own escape from the constraints of palace life. He had been young, and he had not known, but now, looking back, there was something there, beneath that calm exterior. He sighed, and began to turn around again, to continue his endless pacings of the hallways of his palace.

_I miss you, Mother_.

Had Ursa supported the war? That question brought him up short, and the Fire Lord paused in mid turn. Had Mother supported the war? And again, he realised...he did not know.

_Would Mother have approved of what I am doing now?_

Now that was a question that he did not really want answered. Probably because he already knew what the answer would be.

He shook his head, trying to banish the thoughts of war away from his head. He needed a break from all this...war, ruling the Fire Nation...he needed peace, solitude.

Freedom.

He needed to feel free again. To feel the wind on his face, to look out at the boundless lands before him, to know with utmost certainty that he could go anywhere he wanted to go. To not have the burdens of ruling a kingdom on his shoulders. To not bear the guilt of sending men into war. To not be the one who revisited pain and misery upon people who were already sick and tired of it all.

The Fire Lord sighed. There is was again, the thoughts of war that seemed to haunt him incessantly these days. Day and night...there seemed to be no escape from them, their whispers, their accusations.

The guilt was there within him.

Something caught his eye, and the Fire Lord paused again, glancing out the windows once more. It was a dark skinned girl in a blue tunic, walking alone in the gardens, as if it was the most commonplace of things to do when you were a Waterbender in the Fire Nation, at a time of war. And yet there she was, just strolling about, in a slow way, looking around with no sense of the defiance that seemed to be there when she had met with him in the throne room. He could see her clearly from here...to such a precise detail that the few stray hairs that escaped the loops that she had tied were just about visible to him.

Zuko shifted his body, moving his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes never leaving the sight before him. The afternoon sun shone brightly overhead, warming his face and body through the glass, and, as he watched over the Water Tribesgirl before him, felt something strange stirring within him.

She had friends...friends who would die for her. Friends who had died for her. She had people around her who loved her, who enjoyed her presence, who were not in the slightest bit uncomfortable or afraid of her.

He, on the other hand, had nothing at all.

Loneliness was a terrible thing. Sure, he was surrounded by people who would follow his every command to the letter, but could you really command someone to be your friend, to open yourself up to a total stranger? No...he smiled mirthlessly. There was no humour in that smile.

_Do you know how it feels to be truly alone? To be left watching on the outside as the rest of them play? To be marked as an outcast, an exile? Do you know how it feels like during those cold nights, when you stay awake in your bed, just looking at the ceiling, with no one to reach out to, no one to talk to, no memories to look back on the ones that will bring you nothing but more pain?_

_Do you know what it feels like to be me? _

_Does anyone know how it feels like to be me?_

Loneliness...emptiness...isolation. He turned away momentarily, leaning his back against the wall, then returning his gaze to the sights outside the window. She was still there, moving around, just looking at the plants.

Loneliness. Was it the same as being alone? No, he didn't think so, for he was not alone, was he? He had Uncle, for one thing...Iroh had been with him for almost his whole life. No, he was not alone...Zuko was never alone.

He was just lonely. It was like an inner worm that gnawed at his heart, like a feeling that no one wanted him and frustrating because he didn't know why. _But did you ever try, Zuko? Did you ever try to find out why?_ He closed his eyes, and, for one of the few times in his life, actually examined himself. Honestly, brutally even, immediately discarding any attempt to defend himself, to excuse himself, to foist the blame upon the people around him, as he had always did.

Loneliness can be a feeling of of shame for not being a good enough person to be something other than lonely, and being too ashamed to be capable of ending the feeling of loneliness

He was tired of being lonely. The Fire Lord straightened his back, and glanced outside for one last time, his face unreadable, and only his eyes told of the resolve he felt.

He would be Zuko Alone no longer.

* * *

She glanced around the garden. It was truly remarkable, she thought to herself, that something so beautiful could be found here, in the Fire Palace. It was prejudiced of her...she had always imagined the Fire Nation to be filled with cruel barbarians, but her travels had led her to see that there was no actual difference between the Fire Nation, or the Earth Kingdom, or the Water Tribes. They were all people, no matter which nation they belonged to. They could laugh, play, rejoice, and mourn...they could love, and they could hate. They could be compassionate, like the people who had helped Aang and the rest of them while in hiding from the Fire Nation...and they could be cruel, like the Fire Nation soldiers who had attacked her home, so many years ago. 

They could create beauty, and they could be ugly. And it was, unfortunately, the ugly side of people that so very often reared its ugly head.

The garden was not quiet, but it gave her a sense of peace and tranquility that she welcomed gratefully. She was tired, from the journey, from the unpacking, from the talks with various palace functionaries who had been given orders to show her around the palace, to explain to her the delicacies of Fire Nation hospitality. And then there was the state function tonight, which she had been invited to. Accepting it earlier had seemed like a good idea, but now...now, she was not so sure about it.

_Having second thoughts about it, Katara?_ She smiled to herself, as she bent slightly to look closer at one of the rose plants. The flower was red, darker than the crimson that the entire palace was covered with. It was small, delicate, and possessed a sharp scent that assailed her almost immediately. It was not an unpleasant scent at all...rather, it was...she could not really explain it. She was no expert on flowers and their scents, in any case. Life in the South Pole did not give her many opportunities to explore the various flowers and their scents.

She raised her head again, and turned away from the flower. As she straightened, she caught sight of the tall spire above, a shard rising from the ground as if to strike at the sky above. The Fire Lord's personal quarters were...had been there. After the attempt on his life, it seemed only logical that Zuko would move to another room. There were a number of suites in the Fire Palace, all large enough to accomodate a Fire Lord.

"I hope the gardens are pleasing to you." She froze, recognizing the voice immediately. She turned, slowly, a smile lighting up her face. "Prince Iroh," she said, genuine delight in her voice, "It's good to see you again." She meant every word.

The old man stood before her, smiling widely. He seemed the same, but there was something in his eyes, something that belied the smile on his face. His eyes were tired, but there was also something else. _Worry, perhaps?_ She mentally shook herself. _Whatever it is, it is not your business. You are a guest of the Fire Nation...don't poke your nose into things that do not concern you_.

"How have you been?" he asked, moving beside her. She was taller than him, but still, she felt smaller in his presence. "All right," she replied, turning away, not knowing if her answer was the truth, or a lie. "How are you?"

"Not bad, for a man my age," he replied, and gave a good natured laugh. His humour, whether it was forced or not, was still infectious, and she could not help but join in.

"You have already met Zuko." It wasn't a question, just a statement, and she found herself wondering if she should reply to it or not. What could she say in reply, anyway? She nodded, not really knowing what else to do. "Did you discuss anything?" he asked, carefully, and she could feel the mood change. The good natured feeling was gone, and it was replaced by a grave seriousness.

"Nothing," she replied, "He said that we would begin the negotiations tomorrow, or the day after."

Iroh nodded, and did not say anything, but Katara was left with the impression that he had gained something from her reply. He knows something. Well, that was hardly surprising, after all. He was Zuko's uncle, and was no doubt present in whatever meetings the Fire Lord held.

"It is a great responsibility, to be given the task of negotiating with the Fire Lord, on behalf of the Earth King, no less," Iroh said. Something must have shown on her face, for the old man hastily spoke again. "I am sure that you will be able to handle it well."

"Tell me something, Prince Iroh," Katara said suddenly, turning to face the old man, who glanced at her quizzically, but with a resigned look on his face.

"You want to know why Zuko is not ordering the Fire Nation soldiers back." Again, he said it matter of factly. He was right, of course. And it was not really hard for him to guess either. Katara nodded, watching his face carefully. He wouldn't lie to her...not Iroh.

_Would he_?

The old man was quiet for a moment. He turned away, moving to the plants that lined the pathway that wound through the gardens. Katara thought of repeating the question, but she knew that the old man had heard her. And she had too much respect for the Dragon of the West to insult him by repeating it again. She kept her silence, and moved closer to him.

"Zuko..." the old man began, and sighed. "He..." Iroh stopped, and laughed, a humourless laugh. "Zuko does what Zuko does. I cannot explain it. No one can. I don't think he even knows what he is doing." The Prince turned to face the Waterbender. "He believes that what he is doing is what is best for the Fire Nation."

"What about what is best for the world? What about the people of the other nations? What about those who have lost so much already...those who will continue to lose? What about the people in Ba Sing Sei...those who died?" Her voice was raised now, the agitation evident in the tone she used. "They died...for what? For the Fire Nation?" There were tears in her eyes, as she spoke about death. "What about those who have already died...those who have lost their lives to this useless war? Do they have no say in the matter?"

Iroh did not frown, did not do anything to react to her outburst, did not give any indication that he disagreed, or agreed with her. He merely regarded her impassively, as if allowing her to say the things that she had been yearning to say to Zuko when she had met with him earlier. Katara felt the tears welling up in her eyes, and she furiously dashed them away.

"What about what Aang did? He sacrificed his life for everyone, for all the nations, not just for the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribes! He sacrificed his life for the Fire Nation too...so that the people...everyone...could finally live in peace! Does that not matter?"

"Why tell me?" Iroh asked then, ending his silence, breaking her tirade. "Tell the Fire Lord." He moved towards her, and placed a gentle arm on her shoulder. "You should have asked one last question, Katara. Why is it Zuko's fault alone? Why does it have to be the Fire Lord alone who decides whether there will be peace...or war?"

* * *

That evening, they were escorted, with some ceremony, it was worth adding, through the echoing hallways of the Palace of Fire to a banquet hall that appeared to be as large as the massive courtyard in front of the Earth King's palace. To enter the hall, a guest had to approach one of two doorways that led to a broad, curved stairway, lined with branched candelabra and two liveried trumpeteers, one at the top of the stairs, and one at the bottom. 

It was obviously designed for grand entrances by the guests. The Fire Nation, or her nobles and high ranking officials at least, although there was little distinction between both, seemed to enjoy these things, their names and titles being announced with trumpet fanfare by a herald who wore crimson of a shade that if not for his uncovered head, would easily have passed for a part of the wall.

Katara and Suki waited in an antechamber as the last of the local dignitaries were announced. Their entrance would be as part of the contingent of ambassadors and noblemen from the colonies, as the conquered territories were called here.

"Nervous?" Katara asked, and Suki glared at her. The Kyoshi warrior looked distinctly out of place, and Katara knew, she was no better. Peasantry does tend to stand out amongst the fine decorations, she thought to herself somewhat dryly. The clothes provided for her were of a quality she was somewhat unused to, but Iroh had insisted that they both wear them. _As if we would fit in_ _anyway_.

"Your turn, my ladies," the chief of protocol, an young man who fussed about at the guests waiting in the antechamber whispered to them, flapping his hand in a 'come here' motion, urging them to the doorway. Suki took a breath, and walked forward. Katara followed, feeling that her legs were strangely heavy, as if they were made of lead or steel.

"The Lady Katara, and the Lady Suki, ambassadors of the Earth King," the herald declaimed loudly, and they began their descent. There was not much of a break in the buzz of conversation in the hall, but a few curious glances, and some not as much curious as questioning, thrown towards them. Katara was thankful for the former, it was only Suki, ever the vigilant bodyguard, who noticed the latter.

They reached the bottom, and the part Katara was dreading had finally come.

She had to _mingle_.

It was hard enough for her to mingle with people who did want to meet her. The young Waterbender was not shy, but she was uncomfortable in such surroundings such as these, with the opulence and richness...the obvious distinction in rank and wealth. These people were in a species of themselves...some snobbish, some down to earth...uncomfortable was an understatement, really.

The worst thing would not be if someone talked to them. The worst thing would be if no one talked to them. They stood together, glancing blankly, with some measure of apprehension, at the throng before them. Noblemen, noblewomen, both old and young, influential and functionary. Talking and laughing, caught up in a world of their own, discussing matters that ranged from lighthearted and ordinary to matters that carried significantly more weight.

And it was into this crowd that the two of them were supposed to enter.

Fortunately, Iroh spotted them, and came to their rescue. The old man had, since his nephew's elevation, regained all the influence he had once held...probably even more, and he had little difficulty in making his way through the crowd, muttering a few polite and meaningless 'excuse me's' to anyone on whom his body, which was generously expanded, bumped into.

"Welcome, welcome!" he said, smiling broadly, taking Suki by the hand and leading them forward, into the crowd. "I hope you will not mind, but it is considered polite, and somewhat necessary, for a man to escort a beautiful woman during functions like this," he told her apologetically, noting the surprised look on her face. Suki was not one to be easily flattered, but she did smile slightly upon hearing the word 'beautiful', and, more importantly, she did not remove her hand from his.

"Has the Fire Lord arrived yet?" Katara asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the steady stream of various conversations around her. "No...not yet," Iroh replied. "It is customary for the Fire Lord to be the last to arrive," he continued, as he led them closer to, Suki saw with some amusement, a table laden with food and drinks.

"This is not the main course...merely something to nibble on while you talk," Iroh informed them. "The dinner will only begin when the Fire Lord arrives, which I hope will be soon!" he chuckled, and Katara smiled. She glanced at the table before her. It looked, to her, like the main course...and more.

_Sokka would have loved it here_. The thought came unbidden, but the stab of pain that usually accompanied it seemed slightly lessened, at least for the moment.

The banquet, for that was what it seemed to be to her, featured a number of exotic dishes that Suki could not put a name to and several which she did not even know how to eat. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out a hand to try one dish. It was a deceptively innocent looking rice dish, but it was laced with incredibly fiery seasonings that it brought tears to her eyes, and made her reach for one of the small goblets that were so neatly arranged on the table. Katara laughed at that, and choked on her drink, earning her a smirk from Suki.

There must have been some sign to signify something, for all of a sudden, the entire hall became slowly quiet, a respectful sort of silence, and most of the people turned to the doorways at the entrance. The trumpeteers did not blow, but there was a general straightening of clothing and postures, as, slowly...even regally...the Fire Lord made his entrance.

Zuko was wearing the customary red, but his robe was laced with gold and black. He seemed to pause momentarily as he entered, and continued to make his way down, two armoured guards, both armed with long, ceremonial spears, walking smartly behind him. More traditional than actual bodyguards, for the style of their armour was archaic, of the sort that was even older than the ones kept in the Northern Water Tribes.

The crowd parted as the Fire Lord made his way to the imperial platform, which was located towards the center of the hall. It was a slightly elevated platform, on which sat the table reserved especially for the Fire Lord and the royal family, as well as his special guests, both foreign and domestic. A vast wave of bows and curtsies rippled through the crowd as he moved along the carpeted promenade leading up to the platform. He took his place, and the conversation started up again, remarkably quickly, as if the flow had not been interrupted at all.

"Dinner will be served shortly," Iroh said suddenly. Katara had dimly realised that the old man had momentarily left them as his nephew entered, but she had not noticed when he returned to their side. "Where shall we sit?" she whispered to him, glancing around at the tables, which were slowly being filled by the various guests.

"Well...I would take it as a personal honour if you will join me at my table," he replied. "Where?" Suki asked, then turned towards the elevated platform that stood as a centerpiece to the splendour of the great hall. "Oh," she said,not as a reply, but more out of a need to say something.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked doubtfully. "I mean, it is..." she trailed off, uncertain on how to put her thoughts into words. "Oh, it will be perfectly all right," Iroh assured her, taking her hand in his left, and Suki's hand in his right. "The Fire Lord himself suggested it...at my behest, of course." He grinned impishly, and both girls laughed.

Now this should be interesting, he thought to himself, as he led the two girls to the table.

* * *

Zuko watched impassively as his uncle led the two girls up the ramp. He flicked a wrist, and a servant approached with a decanter, pouring into the goblet before his Fire Lord. Zuko lifted it to his lips and took a sip, before standing up as the two girls approached. 

"Welcome," he said quietly, to the surprised looks on the faces of the other guests at the table, as well as the two girls who had just arrived. His uncle, however, nodded approvingly. _Very good, Zuko_...

The hall was silent once more, and all eyes were focused on the imperial platform, or rather, on the Fire Lord. Zuko picked up his chopsticks, and parted them.

"Let us begin."

* * *

Miles away, another monarch was in no mood for any functions. After all, his palace itself had been captured, and he was living, once again, amongst his people. But there was something else on his mind, something else on the mind of everyone else around him. It was encapsulated in three words, sent via messenger hawk to the Earth Kingdom headquarters on Kyoshi Island. 

"They have invaded."

The Earth King glanced worriedly at the map before him. He was in a room, quite a large room, with a number of Earth Kingdom generals and head warriors of the Water Tribes. It was late, probably past midnight, but no one was feeling particularly sleepy at the moment. They had other things to worry about than sleep.

"They have advanced the line, approximately ten miles inwards. The soldiers at the border towns have been put on alert, but there has been no attack." _Not yet, anyway_, the Earth Kingdom general added silently. He glanced at the Earth King, his briefing concluded.He was one of the officers present in that secret meeting, and he wondered what order would be issued. It was easily predicted, of course, but there was always that slight chance that...

"Move the soldiers from the other towns forward, and begin the mobilisation of our reserves."

It said a lot about the situation of the war, and the morale of the Earth King and his closest advisors, that no order to counterattack was given.

They had been warned, by their benefactor, the man who had organized that clandestine meeting of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribesmen. He had warned that sooner or later, the Fire Nation would encroach. Not attack, but encroach. Slowly approaching, without overt force. But approaching nevertheless.

The benefactor was right...right about this one point. And right about the order that was issued.

He had been right about two things already.

Was he right about the next course of action that had to be taken now? The officer shuddered at the thought, cautiously, purposely, avoiding using that one word...that one, damned, wretched word.

Treason.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Another chapter up! Sorry it took so long. Like I said, I had exams and all. And, I must confess, I was slightly apprehensive about writing this chapter, because it would have to be handled quite carefully.**

**You have no idea how much I was tempted to say that Zuko liked Katara all along, and she liked him back. But it would be just so wrong, right? Haha...'wrong, right?' Okay...not funny.**

**The window scene was difficult, to say the least. God knows I really wanted to put in...'He had always loved her,secretly...bla bla bla blah.' But I think that would spoil the whole mood of the story, cos I think that Zutara has to be built up slowly, gradually, to eliminate all traces of that wretched Kataang-ness. I just hope I handled it well. So, as always, feel free to tell me what you thought about it.**

**At least tell me that there was some Zutara in this. Tell me I'm not imagining it. PLEASE!!!**

**And now, moving on...**

**The Beach was excellent!!! Absolutely incredible! Zuko is hot. Hot hot hot. God I love Zuko. And I was rejoicing when he and Mai fought, and I actually went..."Oh, fck" when they got back together at the end. Absolutely disgusting. Azula is becoming a more complex character. More tragic, even. Absolutely delicious. She is officially my new favourite character, after Zuko, of course. I _am_ still a fangirl, you know.**

**Although, I must contradict myself in saying that I'm not actually a Zutara fangirl, but a Zuko fangirl. Which means that I like Zuko, not Zutara. Although I do prefer Zutara over Maiko...I'm beginning to feel some doubt rise within me. The dark side is calling...and I have to say that I am responding.**

**I'm just telling you this because there is the slight chance that this story might not end with Zutara, but I swear to God, it won't end with Maiko either, nor will I put in some OC to be with my beloved Zuko.**

**That's right...MY beloved Zuko. So back off!**

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**Anyways...BYE!!!!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: If you really think that I own the characters of Avatar the last Airbender...then you are wrong, and in obvious need for help.**

Chapter 9

She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Her face was perfection embodied, her entire bearing, her posture, made his heart beat faster than he could believe. It wasn't lust, for he had experienced lust before...he knew what lust was, and this was not lust. Lust was something else, a craving that would simply burn out upon the act of consummation. Lust was self gratification, instantaneous, something fleeting. No...this was not lust.

But if it was not lust, what was it then?

Could it be...love?

He closed his eyes, remembering her smile. It was the smile that had done it, the graceful curve of her perfectly formed lips moving upwards, the gentle face, and those eyes. They were different from any he had seen before...they were like diamonds to him, more precious than anything he had ever possessed in his entire life. And her name...he mouthed the syllables as if they were a holy rite, as if the very act of saying her name was something sacred. Such a beautiful name. Fitting, for such a beautiful person.

For her, he would give up a kingdom. If he had a kingdom to give up, the young man thought to himself with a wry smile.

The young man struggled to make sense of the emotions stirring within him, the stab of pain, the constant aching inside. He was confused, and he did not like it. She was so far away from him, something unattainable, something that he would never...could never...hope to reach. Oh, how he longed to touch her face, to feel the warm caress of her hand upon his cheek, to experience the pleasure of her lips on his.

How he wanted her...how he longed to possess her...how he needed to have her by his side.

_I am in love_.

She would never have him. Never. She was something so high up, on a pedestal of her own, towering over everything else. Who was he to even entertain the thought of speaking to her?

He was the Fire Lord's son, that's who he was.

But would she care? There had to be many after her, many who seeked her hand, and...the thought sent another wave of pain within him...perhaps, just perhaps, he tried to remind himself firmly, she was already taken. The thought that she might be with another man, the thought that she had given herself to another man...it chilled him. It did not anger him...no...because it was her right. Women like her, as beautiful...as perfect as she was...no one could order them to do anything against their will. No one should, for beauty as incredible as that should not be forced...could not be forced. It was wild, untamable.

_I want you_, he thought fervently, his heart filled with longing, his blood raging within him.

_But I cannot force you_. The raging stilled, but the longing remained. It would always remain, for that was the nature of love.

Love could not be forced upon anyone...but it could come upon you without your consent.

_I cannot force her to love me_.

She turned then, that personification of beauty in the flesh, and he felt his heart skip a beat as her gaze, steady and unwavering, her eyes clear as crystal, fall upon him, as if a ray from the divine had suddenly graced his meaningless form.

And the smile that she gave him...he would remember it always, until the day he died.

It would be the last thing he would remember, the last flash before his eyes, as he slipped into the cold, chilly embrace of death. The darkness consumed him, blanketing him, preparing him for that sleep from which there was to be no awakening. He could feel the warmth in his body slip away even as his blood soaked the cobblestones...he could feel the life flee from him, leaving his body a mere shell, empty...a carcass without a soul. But then again, he thought to himself blearily...his soul had died when she had left him...forever.

Yet still he remembered her smile.

_Ursa_..._my beloved Ursa_...

_I love you, Ursa_...

How many times had he said those words to her? How many times had he shown her how he truly felt for her, how much he cared, how much she had meant to him? Had she known? Had she known how he truly felt...had she known how much he wanted to express his feelings for her, but had not been able to? Had she known? The question burned him deep inside his heart, even now, as the heartbeats grew slower and slower. _Had she known_?

Somewhere inside him, he knew the answer to his question. He had known it all along...all this time. It was amazing...how these things came back to you, how the forgotten moments suddenly became clear, how memories and feelings, long buried under a cover of coldness and cruelty, suddenly came flooding back...now, when you were at Death's door. Here, time did not exist, even as the last few seconds slipped away through that metaphorical hourglass...the time of his life, a candle slowly dimming and fading from existence. He knew the answer, and he was elated by it.

She had known...she had known that he had loved her...and for that love, and for the love of the consummation of their union...for the fruit of their love...she had died for him. For them. For love.

Even bad people deserve a merciful death. Even bad people need to be loved. Because there was really no such thing as a bad person, merely one who had taken a look at life and its rules, and decided, with utmost alacrity, that those rules that had so bounded every other person need not apply to them. Because every bad person was, first and foremost, a person inside, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Even bad people could give love...and, very often, they could give a love much greater than anyone else could ever hope to provide.

_I love you,Ursa_..._I always have_..._and I always will_...

And so Fire Lord Ozai, son to Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah, brother to Prince Iroh, husband to Princess Ursa, father to Prince Zuko and Princess Azula, Lord of the Fire Nation, and Slayer of the Avatar, the last Airbender, died. And, perhaps because the ways of the Divine are a mystery to us all, perhaps because His justice is mercy, and probably because we do not know what happens after we die, you could not help but feel that the Fire Lord had died a happy death. For as you gaze at the smile on his face, even surrounded by blood and the grief that came with the loss of those he had taken to death with him, you could not help but feel that a man who had caused so much chaos in life, had finally found peace.

* * *

Dinner was an interminable affair, and evidently state functions were something taken extremely seriously in the Fire Nation. There was a certain decorum to the whole thing, a peculiar formality to something that Katara would have considered to be conducted in a manner with some formality, but not this much. 

The utensils were placed about one inch from the edge of the table, each one lining up at the base with the one next to it. Utensils on the outermost position were to be used first, Iroh whispered to them steathily, noting the wild eyed looks the girls gave to the impressive array of silverware before them. There were three pair of chopsticks, each of them carved with the intricacy that, even to their untrained eyes, displayed the skill of a master craftsman. There were two forks, fashioned out of silver, which shone in the brilliance of the candlelight. There were four spoons, three made from silver, or some equally bright metalware, Suki thought to herself, and one more made out of...she could not believe this...gold. The light glinted of its polished surface, and uncharacteristically enough, Suki thought of pocketing it. Sokka would certainly have made of with one or two.

The entire hall was a spectacle of lights, from the ceiling, with the six small chandeliers; small, because there were another two, these ones placed directly above the raised platform that housed the Imperial party, which were larger than any other chandelier Katara had ever seen. It was a wonder, she would reflect sleepily that night, that there had been no wax falling on them. The cloth that covered the table was, of course, red, but edged with what looked like gold thread, but there was really no way of confirming that, short of examining the cloth edges in front of all the guests.

Dinner consisted of eight courses, each borne to the table by silent waiters dressed in white, who, with an expert hand, placed the plates in front of the guests, removing the plate from the previous course with the other. This was done with some skill, for not once did any remnant of food on the plate fall on the cloth, nor a single drop of the two soups; one thick, and one thin; spill on the plate on which the bowl was placed.

Suffice to say, the food, and the presentation, were both excellent.

* * *

The conversation started just as soon as the first course was served, and by the time the third course; soup, thick and aromatic, in this case; had arrived, the conversation was in full flow. There was no raucousness about it...the words were polite, firm, and spoken with a certain dignity. The guests at the table were, after all, amongst the upper ranks of the social hierarchy of the Fire Nation, and one did not rise so high in a world where civilized was just not good enough by acting less than impeccable. 

Any prejudice they would have felt, any questions, any curiosity they might have had towards the two girls, newcomers...indeed, definite strangers to the table, did not show in their conversations. As a matter of fact, the topics did not center around them, but shifted around constantly, with a fluidity that surprised both girls immensely. It would however not go to the topic of war; always a sensitive one, considering the guests at table-there were two generals in addition to Katara, the de facto ambassador of the Earth King, and Suki, who was, in an official capacity, an ambassadorial assistant, but in reality a bodyguard; the topics that were more mundane, such as the developments in the world of business, were the ones discussed at the table.

"So tell me, Ambassador, how do you like the Fire Nation so far?" a man asked. Katara's mind worked quickly, and she chewed her food slower, allowing herself some time to think out a reply that would be...diplomatic in nature, as well as complimenting. "I haven't been here long," she replied, "I've been in the palace mostly, and..."

"Indeed?" the man interrupted her in mid sentence, and then, as if suddenly realizing his mistake, smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry...please, continue. "Well..." she trailed off, not really knowing what to say, "It's different, from my home," she finished, knowing just how weak and lame that answer had been.

"Well, I certainly cannot ask you to comment on our fair country, at least not before you have a chance to visit around some more. So what do you think of the palace, then?" he continued, keeping his eyes on her.

"It is truly...magnificent," she managed, with a sidelong look at Zuko. The Fire Lord was silent, seemingly oblivious to nothing else but his food, but only a fool would think that the young ruler was not paying any attention to the conversations that were taking place around him.

"The gardens are beautiful," Katara added honestly, and glanced at Zuko again. The Fire Lord caught her eye, and looked away, but Katara could see that the compliment had pleased him.

"Truly, they are," the man agreed. "His Majesty's mother had fine taste indeed."

Beside her, Suki sat quietly, listening to Iroh and another man. "The budget for military expenditure this month is fully expanded, I'm afraid," the man said. "We have apparently overstepped ourselves in buying the wheat crop. Right now, we are trying to sell it to the treasury."

"How much, exactly?" Iroh asked, the curiosity evident in his voice. The old man had finished his soup, and already, his mind was on the next course.

"Something in the excess of five tonnes, Prince Iroh," the man replied, as if he was somewhat embarrassed by it. "We can, of course, keep it in storage, but the treasury is keeping tabs on every gold piece we have. The accounts have been somewhat...embarrassing for us."

"Why not try and sell it in the open market yourselves?"

"Soldiers do not make good businessmen, Prince Iroh, and the crop market is saturated right now. We might end up making a loss."

Iroh nodded, and then sat up straight as the waiters bearing the next course came into view, his eyes lighted up in anticipation.

The function progressed on smoothly, continuing into the fourth and fifth course. The fourth dish was rice, placed in small bowls in front of the guests. Katara fiddled with her chopsticks, ready to begin, but Iroh cleared his throat, and she stopped. Glancing around, she noted that no one was eating...in fact, they seemed to be totally ignorant of the fact that there was rice in front of them.

"The rice is usually eaten with the fifth course," the man who had talked to her earlier whispered, noting her confusion. "It is considered impolite to eat the rice by itself." He chuckled at that. "There are rules for eating?" Katara whispered back incredulously. "Of course!" he replied. "We are a nation burdened by rules." As he said that, he cast a short glance at the Fire Lord, who was looking forward, surveying the guests before him, around the Imperial Platform.

"The Fire Lord is pretty quiet today, Prince Iroh," the man observed loudly, loud enough for Iroh to hear, and definitely loud enough for Zuko to hear. To his credit, the young man's face did not change, nor did his eyes narrow with the irritation he must have definitely felt.

"Indeed," Iroh agreed, a roguish look on his face. "I wonder why that is? Eh, Zuko?" he nudged his nephew. The Fire Lord glanced at his uncle. "I have nothing to say, nothing to add to the conversation," he replied stiffly.

"Really?" Iroh asked. "Zuko is usually like this," he continued in a confidential whisper that carried around the whole table. "You remember the last time we had one of these functions?" he asked with a grin. There were a few answering grins, and one or two sniggers.

"What? What happened the last time?" Katara could not help herself...she had to ask. Zuko scowled darkly, shooting her a deadly glare, which, of course, she ignored with an impishness she had not known she could have felt so soon.

"Our esteemed Fire Lord did not say a single word throughout the entire function," another man, this one sitting at the furthest end of the table, replied, to a general chorus of laughs and smiles. "Zuko was sitting straight throughout the whole dinner, and when it came to dancing..." Iroh choked, and began laughing, gradually joined by the rest of the guests on the table.

Zuko's face was getting redder and redder.

"Dancing?" Suki asked curiously. "Oh, didn't you know? No, of course not, this is your first function..." the prospective entrepreneur in the saturated crop market said. "There is always dancing at state functions. It is one of those things that we stuffy nobles do for fun," a woman said.

"The dancing usually comes after the sixth course, and so does the mingling, of course," Iroh continued. "And then, after that...dessert."

"Your favourite part, Prince Iroh," someone said, and they laughed again.

"The Prince is an excellent dancer," the woman said. "I was quite a charmer in my younger days," Iroh said modestly, "Which was not such a long time ago, either," he added.

"Do you dance, dear?" the woman asked Suki. "A little," the young Kyoshi warrior said hesitantly. "But of course! She is a Kyoshi warrior, after all. Martial arts and dancing are strangely alike," a man observed. "A Kyoshi warrior, eh?" an old man said, glancing at her. "I've heard about you. Not you personally, of course," he added somewhat hastily, "but I do consider it my good fortune never to have had to meet a Kyoshi warrior on the battlefield."

"This man..." the budding businessman proclaimed grandly, "is one of the Fire Nation's greatest war generals." "You flatter me, sir," the old man replied, "I was merely doing my duty."

"Of course, General," the man smiled. "I have been meaning to ask, of course, if the rumours that you were intending to return to active service are true." There was a shrewd look on the man's face, and Katara could sense a change in the atmosphere, slowly tensing up. The waiters bringing the fifth course, a platter of roast duck, it appeared to be, did not distract her from the conversation.

"I was a soldier...once a soldier, always a soldier," the old man shrugged. "You can take the man away from the battlefield, but you can never take the battlefield away from the man."

"The Fire Nation is always prepared to receive her citizens who wish to continue serving," Zuko said, reaching for a slice of duck.

"Especially now," someone else commented, "with all this going on."

Perhaps it would have been a mistake to open her mouth, but Katara had to say something. After all, how could she not? "You are talking about the Fire Nation's refusal to retreat from the occupied territories, of course," she said, and ignored the warning look that Iroh gave her.

"I forgot...you are the ambassador of the Earth King, after all," the man said. There was no remorse on his face. "It was a mistake to bring this up...I beg you, let us drop the subject of war."

"What can I say, Ambassador," the old man spread his hands, one hand holding his chopsticks. "I led the Fire Nation armies into one of the early forays into the Earth Kingdom. I offer no apologies for my part in the fighting, and I can offer no explanation for the deaths that my men caused amongst the Earth Kingdom armies. But I will say this...we too, we, the Fire Nation, also suffered our own casualties. We too have lost people to war. My own brother is now blind, a present from an Earth Kingdom strike force that attacked behind our lines. Do I blame the Earth Kingdom for it? No, I do not. It was war, and we fought, both sides fought, and bled, and died."

"But is there truly a need for war?" the woman asked.

"What is war, my lady?" someone else replied. "War is a state of conflict, with violence as the way to settle the differences between both sides. There are some things that cannot be solved merely by negotiations. After all, when one party is weaker than the other, why should there be negotiations in the first place? When you can take something by force, why bother negotiating and settling for something less?"

"Are there moral precedents for war? Maybe," the general said. "but I do not make the decisions, do I? I merely follow my orders."

Katara turned her gaze to Zuko. The Fire Lord was watching the conversation with interest, evident in his eyes. He regarded her momentarily, his face impassive, not betraying any of the emotions he must have been feeling. It was an act, this veneer of calmness. Katara was sure of it. What was he hiding behind the facade of emotionlessness? Shame, perhaps? Regret? She did not know. For if there was one way that Zuko had changed, it was that he had learnt to hide his feelings better.

_Go ahead, ask_.

_Ask_.

She asked, and the Fire Lord almost smiled, but he was sure that smiling now would be a big mistake. It was remarkable, how easily she had been manipulated...goaded, even, into asking this question, now, especially, in front of all the guests at the table. How he conducted himself would be told, and retold with remarkable clarity, he knew. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his uncle. The old man had also been silent during the conversation, merely watching, merely waiting, a mere observer in a game that was being played out. He owed his uncle, the Fire Lord knew. The old man was perfectly capable of putting an end to this...indeed, he could have simply steered the conversation away from the topic earlier. But he had not, because...why? Why had he not done that, the Fire Lord asked himself suddenly. It struck him that perhaps his uncle wanted to see what he would do.

_Watch, Uncle...and see how well I have learnt from you, from Azula_.

_From my father_.

"Do you know why this war began, in the first place? It was Sozin who started this war...Sozin, my great grandfather. Did you know that Sozin and Avatar Roku were childhood friends? They were, and closer than most. Sozin was the Fire Lord, and Roku was the Avatar. It was Sozin who began the invasion of the Earth Kingdom. Why? Because he wanted to share the wealth of the Fire Nation with the world." Zuko laughed hollowly, raising his hand to stop Katara from speaking.

"I admit, it does sound a little clichéd, but that was what he said. And he was right, in a way," Zuko leaned back. "Look around, Katara. What do you see? Progress, Katara...the Fire Nation is progress. We have moved forward...far ahead than any other nation...far greater than any other nation. Why, then, should we not show the rest of the world the way forward? But would they listen? No, they would not. Why? Because it would mean that the Fire Nation will be leading the way. It would mean that one nation will take the helm, will take precedence over the rest." He paused, glancing around. They were all looking at him, watching their Fire Lord.

"Perhaps it was wrong of Sozin to have begun this war, but that does not change a thing, Katara. Perhaps he could have done better...something that did not require war as the catalyst. Perhaps he just wanted war...I cannot say. But it does not change the basic fact, Katara. The war has begun, and it has continued, through Azulon, through my father, and now, through me. And now, through me, in my lifetime, the comet...Sozin's comet, has arrived. And we of the Fire Nation...we can finally end this war, once and for all.

Can I end this war? Perhaps...yes. But should I? Should I end this war? Should I surrender the lands which we have fought hard to gain? Should I simply pull the armies back into the Fire Nation?" He laughed again, and once again, it was a laugh without humour. "There are over two million people in the Fire Nation, and we are growing larger and larger. We cannot hope to continue our way of living on what resources we have here. We need the Earth Kingdom, we need the Water Tribes...for what they possess. The resources which they have in their lands, the resources that they do not make use of, simply because they cannot use them. They lack the capabilities to use them, but we do not. We can make use of those resources, and we can improve lives.

The Avatar once said that all four nations held the key to stability. But all we have is backwardness. Retarded progress! Can the Earth Kingdom build the war machines that we have? Can the Water Tribe build the furnaces that we have built? We, we the Fire Nation...we can improve life. The other nations merely exist...we adapt, and we grow, and we advance ourselves.

Why should I end this war, when I can finally achieve what my predecessors have set out to achieve? How can I simply overlook the sacrifices of the Fire Nation soldiers who have lost their lives in the service of their nation? Tell me, Katara, how can I not continue this war?" He paused, and he could see her face. There was pain there, pain and anger. But there was also something else, something that he had not expected to see in those eyes. Something that surprised him.

Understanding. Or at least a glimmer of understanding.

She did not agree with him, he knew that. But he had made his point...he had made his point. To her, and to everyone else at the table. Let them know why their Fire Lord did not do what they, yes, even they of the Fire Nation, had expected him to do.

"There has to be unity for us to advance. There has to be one leader. There cannot be mere cooperation. There has to be a leader."

"And what of the Avatar? What of his sacrifices?" the Fire Lord almost smiled at the stricken look on her face. _Be careful, Zuko...be very careful. Don't push to hard_.

"Well..." he looked her full in the face, wondering how exactly she would react upon hearing what exactly he was going to say next.

"Well...what of it, Katara?"

* * *

The air balloon rode the winds at a seemingly slow pace,but this was deceptively false. The lower hanging clouds and the darkness of the night sky obscured the ground below, and it was difficult for anyone to gauge the speed or distance. There was a cool night breeze, but whether this was caused by the movement of the balloon, or simply just the passing air, they could not tell. And 'they' being, of course, Princess Azula and her friends. 

The Fire Nation princess lounged lazily in her chair, glancing at the ceiling. Traveling via air balloon, she reflected to herself, was incredibly dull. There was little room to walk around, even though the cabin below the vast red balloon was the largest in the fledging Fire Nation Flying Corps. The Princess, although she did not want to admit it to anyone, quite liked her feet to be planted on solid ground.

Now ships...ships she did not mind. At least the ship was on something; water. But this balloon...it was floating. On air. Floating on something that was supposed to be the lightest element out there.

The last Avatar had been an Airbender, the Princess smiled to herself. Ironic, in a way. But she did not really want to pursue that train of thought.

She simply wanted to get back to ground.

Beside her, Ty Lee was not faring any better. The only difference was that she was pretty obvious about her dislike for air travel. The acrobat moaned audibly, her face probably green, except that it was dark, and the fact that they were under a large balloon filled with light, and very very flammable gas, did not really encourage anyone to attempt to light even something as small as a candle.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ty Lee muttered, and Azula glanced at her sympathetically. It was the same thing as the journey to Ba Sing Sei. They had crossed the ocean, the vast mass of water separating the Fire Nation and the conquered Earth Kingdom territories, by this balloon, and Ty Lee had not enjoyed it at all.

"Relax," Mai said, "It will be over soon anyway." The dark haired girl did not seem in the least perturbed by their mode of transportation. In fact, Azula thought suspiciously, she did not seem perturbed by anything at all. Not even by the fact that she and Zuko had drifted apart towards the end of the war, with his leaving the Fire Nation again and all.

And now my brother is the Fire Lord. It seemed strange, somehow, even though her agreement had been sought on the subject. She could have become the Fire Lord, or the Fire Lady, instead of her scarred brother, and yet she did not take it.

Why? Sometimes, especially on those cold nights when sleep proved to be as elusive as the Avatar had been, she wondered why herself.

There was a respectful knock on the door, as if the person outside was trying to be careful not to wake any of the occupants in case they were asleep. As if anyone could sleep in this thing, Azula thought darkly, deciding that this would be the last time she would ever step inside this...contraption.

"Come in," she said, and the door opened, to reveal one of the balloon's crewmen. "Princess," he bowed, slightly breathless. The altitude, Azula thought to herself.

"We are approaching the capital. The captain has given orders that we land just outside the palace," he told her, and she nodded. "Good work," she replied, and waved him off.

"We're here?" Ty Lee moaned hopefully. "Thank you," she muttered, her eyes moving heavenwards. Azula privately agreed.

* * *

"Well?" 

The question hung in the stale, musty and unmoving air. It seemed to reverberate around the room, echoing around and off the walls. The men shuffled uncomfortably, glancing uneasily at each other. This had seemed to be a good idea several hours ago, just as how all ideas seemed to be good ideas when they were several hours away.

But several hours away had now become several hours ago.

"It is obvious," one man said, slowly and hesitantly. He did not really want to be the first to speak, did not want to be remembered as the person who had begun the proceedings of this meeting. But, he thought to himself, if he did not speak, who else would? Those cowards, he glared at them contemptuously, ignoring the fact that he was one of them. "The Earth King does not want another war with the Fire Nation. He will not order our soldiers out to move against the invaders."

"The Earth King will not give any order...will not condone any course of action that will lead to war." The sentence had been impressive, and he was somewhat proud of his use of the word 'condone'. A strange thing to think of at a time like this, he reflected to himself in the privacy of his mind, even as his ears heard the next line of the conversation.

"The Fire Nation could advance straight at the nearest town, and capture it without a fight. Have you heard the latest order from his Majesty? 'Avoid direct confrontation as much as possible'." The speaker was a general in the Earth Kingdom army, a veteran of six campaigns, the last of which had been an abortive attempt to push the Fire Nation back from the Eastern front.

"So, we are all agreed then?"

Silence, once again. This was the big step, that large step that would lead them across the tricky line between disaffection and outright treason.

Treason. The word was avoided as if the very act of saying it would be like taking poison willingly.

Treason.

There was a general mutter of assent, as the tides of loyalty began to shift once again. Each man took that step, moving forward across that invisible line, and found, to each person's individual surprise, that stepping over that line was not as hard as it had seemed a few seconds ago.

"We are agreed then." The voice seemed satisfied, pleased even. People were remarkably easy to manipulate. _I am the Puppet Master, and these are my Puppets_. But a Puppet Master had limits, especially since the puppets were living people. You had to lead them on, slowly, gradually...making them think that this was all their idea in the first place. It would be simpler, very much simpler, if they thought it was their own idea. They would truly work at it then.

"Yes...we are agreed." His voice warbled, and the man swallowed, then clenched his fists and straightened noticeably. And then he said in a stronger voice, this time with no hint of any wavering doubt in it.

"We are agreed. The Earth King must be removed."

* * *

Author's Notes.

Well, another chapter posted. I've just realised that this story has over thirty thousand words in it, and still it's not finished. It's not even approaching the middle yet. And I had hoped to finish it in forty thousand words or so. Apparently that will not happen. I'm beginning to think that this story is moving too slowly...what do you guys think?

Someone, one of my early reviewers, asked me why Zuko was continuing the war. I hope I answered it here. It might seem rather misguided of him, a little naive, even, but that's the way it is supposed to be. I'm trying to justify war from the point of view of the Fire Nation. This is not an easy thing to do. I'd appreciate any ideas from you guys, because, when you think of it,from the point of view of an aggressive nation, there is no other justification other than a desire to rule.

So, do drop your ideas and comments if you have any.

With regards to the Zutara thing, after much soul searching, I have decided that this will be a Zutara story...how? I haven't figured that out yet, lol.

The UK is getting new episodes before the USA. I'm just saying...permit me a moment to gloat.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

And thanks for reading. BYE!!!!!


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last Airbender, and perhaps that is a good thing, considering the fact that if I did own Avatar the last Airbender, it would probably be the first Nicktoon's show where the main character or the protagonist aka Aang...dies in the end.**

**Chapter 10**

Discover and conceive the secret wealth  
And pass it unto your breed  
Becoming your own congregation  
Oh, measure the serenity of its invigoration

We...who not deny the animal of our nature  
We...who yearn to preserve our liberation  
We...who face darkness in our hearts with a solemn fire  
We...who aspire to the truth and pursue its strength

Are we not the undisputed prodigy of warfare  
Fearing all the mediocrity that they possess  
Should we not hunt the bastards down with our might  
Reinforce and claim the throne that is rightfully ours

Consider the God we could be without the grace  
Once and for all  
Diminish the sub principle and leave its toxic trace  
Once and for all...

* * *

She was silent now, he noted. Silent. He had expected her to say something back, to shout, to at least show more emotion to his words. To react. React. And yet she had not done so. She had simply sat in silence, and, somewhere within the dark corners of his mind where those unwanted thoughts that only surfaced when you least wanted them to lurked, he realized that that silence was probably the best answer she could give. Silence in the face of apparent defeat...not a symbol of apparent surrender, but a symbol of utter contempt. Contempt towards him...and a contempt that he shared at himself. 

She sat rigidly, her body stiff, but her eyes...her eyes told an entirely different story. Rage. The fury and rage of hell, captured in those eyes that now watched his while the body did nothing to betray her true feelings. A year ago, and she would have bended the liquids on the table towards him in a thin sharp shard of pure ice to plunge in vengeful anger into his heart. But now, she simply sat still, not doing anything of the sort.

And then she stood, and left.

The Fire Lord watched her leave, his face impassive. In the edges of his awareness, he noted that, amidst the sounds of the tables surrounding the imperial platform, his own table was silent. The Kyoshi warrior also stood, hurrying towards the slowly departing figure of the Water Tribesgirl. Strange how he hadn't really noticed her presence at the table, he thought absently. She was from Kyoshi Island after all.

"Well..." one of the men said, breaking the silence. He stopped, uncertain of what to say. Someone else made a remark about the food, and soon, very soon, the conversation around the table resumed, although it was a little strained at the beginning. Of course, that was only temporary. What did they, citizens of the Fire Nation, care for the feelings and opinions of two outsiders?

Zuko reached for a glass of wine, putting it to his lips. His mouth was dry, strangely enough. His heart was beating rapidly, as if he had just run a race, and his hands felt heavy. For a moment, he thought that he had been poisoned again, but only for a moment, because the rational part of his mind slowly reasserted itself.

He had been nervous, the Fire Lord realised. He had allowed his emotions to fuel him, to add fire to his words, and it had taken over him. For that brief moment, more than ever, he had felt like a true Fire Lord. A true son of Ozai. Cold and cruel, high above the rest, distant and unfeeling, looking only towards that one goal that had governed the lives of his family, his people, and his nation, as well as the world, for three generations since the great Fire Lord Sozin himself.

And now he was tired and sickened by it.

The wine tasted bitter in his mouth, but he drank it anyway, feeling the cool rush of liquid down his throat. He picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of meat, placing it into his mouth. He chewed it, not tasting it, the sour bitterness in his mouth the only thing he could feel. His appetite gone, he placed the chopsticks down again, and reached once more for the goblet. It was empty, and he turned to signal to the servant waiting behind him to refill it. And as he turned, he caught his uncle's eye.

One glance said it all. He had seen that look only once before, and he had sworn never to let his uncle feel that way again. Never again. And here it was, that same look, the same shock and grief and disappointment in his uncle's eyes...the same hurt on the old man's face, just like that time in the catacombs of old Ba Sing Sei, where the green crystals and the darkness had combined to hide everything except for that one damned expression on his uncle's face. Here it was again, here and now, when all ws supposed to be well, when he and his uncle were supposed to be reconciled, when there were supposed to be no more worries, no more anger...no more pain.

No more grief.

And then it struck him. This was the third time in his life that he had seen that expression. This was the second time tonight that he had seen the pain on a person's face...a pain that could not be conveyed by words alone, only by the most primal of expressions, where the grief would rise up from your heart and mind unto your face, and into your eyes, the windows to your soul. This was the second time, for the first had been when he had stared into the face of the Water Tribesgirl, when he had looked into Katara's eyes.

_What have you done this time, Zuko? What have you done? _But that was the question in his uncle's eyes. The question in her eyes remained the same one, that same question that had led him into this blunder which he had planned for himself. It was still the same question then and now, and now, at this moment, he wasn't sure if he had an answer, or whether he would ever have an answer.

_Why, Zuko? Why_?

* * *

The air balloon did not land gently, despite the best efforts of the captain and his crew. But it was, by their standards, quite a well executed landing, in any case, considering the fact that they had experienced worse. In fact, their very first landing had resulted in a broken leg for one of the pilots, as well as a considerable amount in damaged property. Explaining that to the accounts department of the Army Corps had been an absolute nightmare. 

Explaining it to Princess Azula would be much, much worse. The Fire Nation girl was standing at the moment of landing, for she was eager to get off as quickly as possible, to get her feet on solid ground. When the 'contraption' had made its landing, the princess found herself dumped unceremoniously on the floor, her legs, already somewhat weak from the 'flight' giving way beneath her, and as she fell, all semblance of royal dignity flew away.

Fortunately for the captain, the Princess was only too happy to be back on solid ground again. The same could also be said for her friend, Ty Lee, who rose unsteadily from her seat and stumbled to the door, groaning as she clambered outside, taking in deep breaths. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you..." she muttered on and on, feeling better and better as she felt the ground under her feet. It wasn't moving, nor did it shake and heave in any way.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mai asked, and Ty Lee glared at her. The Princess ignored them and glanced up at the air balloon, with the huge red emblem of the Fire Nation on its sheets, and gave it one last contemptuous look. She briefly considered setting it on fire, but that would be willful and childish. Also, the accounts committee of the Army Corps were not known for their fear of high ranking authorities, having once faced down an irate Prince Iroh over his use of Fire Nation troops and tanks to acquire a rare tea plant in one of the many occupied territories in the Earth Kingdom. They had even confiscated the plant itself, and burned it in front of the Dragon of the West. People with the courage to burn tea in front of Prince Iroh did not fear anything, probably not even an angry Princess Azula. The only thing they probably did fear was an unbalanced current account.

"Princess," a man bowed. He wore the customary armour of the Firebenders, and his face was masked, obscuring his voice slightly. "Welcome back to the Fire Nation, Princess Azula."

"Anything new?" she asked. "No, Princess," the Firebender replied. She nodded, not really expecting otherwise. "Tell me...has my brother retired for the night?" she asked. "I do not know, Princess," the soldier answered, "But I will find out," he added hastily, not wanting to irritate her.

"Good." She turned to her friends. "It's been a long journey. Why don't you stay for the night, and we'll have breakfast together in the morning."

"A sleepover? We haven't done one of those in a while!" Ty Lee exclaimed, and Azula and Mai shared a look that said it all.

* * *

It must have been the shock of the moment, the impact of his words hitting her. It was like a slap to the face from someone you would not have expected it from, the slow realization that the blow had connected. It was like being a person with two parts. One part was still unable to believe that something like that had occurred, still trying to come to terms with it. The other part...that part was fully aware of what had just transpired. That other part knew exactly what had happened. That other part was furious. 

_How dare you, Zuko?_

It was not the fact that he had embarrassed her in front of all those people. She did not mind. But he had trivialized the sacrifices made by Aang, by Sokka...that was unforgivable. To think that he, of all people, could simply discard what the Avatar had done...

It was unforgivable.

She simply walked on and on, not stopping, just letting her feet guide her to whatever destination there was. She did not cry, she did not scream. She simply walked onward. She did not really know where she was going, for her eyes, while open, were unseeing. All she could see was the memories...the memories of their deaths. Their bodies, burnt and scarred, bleeding unto the cobblestones. Their lifeless eyes, their unmoving limbs, their chests not rising and falling with the familiar rhythm that indicated breath and life.

Even now, she could remember them in death. But even now, she could not bring herself to remember them _dying_.

The Water Tribesgirl stopped, and blinked slowly, as if rising from a dream. She glanced around, and, to her surprise, found herself in the gardens. It was dark now, but the royal gardens were kept open throughout the day, and, apparently, throughout the night as well. There were a few lights...lighted lamps that lined the trodden walkway through the maze of flowers and plants. They provided some illumination, but not much, leaving most of the surrounding plants shrouded in darkness. The unsteadily burning flames made the shadows leap around in their own grotesque version of a dance in the darkness.

Katara shivered. It was cold here, she realized. The Fire Nation formal dress was not as warm as it was in that great hall, and she found herself shivering. Somewhere within her mind, she hoped that it was merely from the cold. She leaned on one of the bushes, feeling the leaves on her back, providing a soft background on which she could lean back. Her legs felt tired, and she sank to her knees, and finally folded her legs beneath her, slipping of her shoes and curling her feet back under her body to keep them warm. Katara shifted her body slightly, and glanced upwards, at the sky above, at the stars that shone so far away, so far away from the world below. And then she closed her eyes, and only then...only then, did the tears come trickling down.

_Aang_. There was a strange innocence about him, a certain way which he looked at life with a certain wonder at creation. He looked at life with a joy that belied the burden he had been forced to bear. And when he had been upset...those times had been painful, not only for him, but for her as well.

She had loved him...and she loved him still.

She could see it now, yellow points springing up from an orange glow like some sort of ghastly floral arrangement, representing the life that had just been snuffed out. At that moment, she had felt a numbness...a numbness that had suppressed grief for the moment, although she had known that the grief would come too, as pain always follows a hard blow to the face. Once more, death in all its horrid majesty had reached out for her, reached its cold skeletal hands towards the ones that she had loved. And she had simply stood there, watching that crater, watching the smoke clear, watching the heat dissipate...

And then the grief came. She had made her way down that indentation upon the earth, feeling the cobblestones beneath her, still warm from the flames generated in that climatic and savage battle. There were a few shards that burnt her, but she did not feel the physical pain, for the physical pain was nothing to her...was nothing compared to the pain that she felt inside. She had seen the bodies, seen their corpses, mere husks of burnt flesh, no longer holding the life that had been entrusted to reside within. The pain she felt in her heart as she had knelt beside them was real, far more real than anything she had ever felt before. It was like a noxious tide within her, threatening to come out, but never leaving, still staying within her, sickening her from within...sickening her with feelings of pain and loss and helplessness and regret, a boiling pot of raw emotion that threaten to spill out from within and tear her apart. And, she thought with a sad smile...perhaps it did.

He had died to save the world. He had died for people whom he hardly knew, for people who did not know him, for people to whom he was nothing but the Avatar...not Aang, but the Avatar. Did no one realise that the Avatars were people first and foremost? Did no one think that the Avatars could feel as people felt, could rejoice as people rejoiced, could worry as people worried, could grieve as people grieved...could love, as people loved. No. To them, the Avatar was the all powerful one, the legendary being who would right all wrongs, protect the weak, and save the world.

To her, he was Aang. Not the last Airbender, not the one hundred year old boy, not the Avatar. Just Aang. A friend...and perhaps, something even more than a friend.

_But I believe that Aang can save the world_.

"Katara?"

Suki sat down beside her, and Katara smiled briefly. Or at least tried to. The Kyoshi warrior glanced at her friend, understanding everything in an instant, realizing the need for companionship, and the need for silence. She struggled with her dress, finally settling into a position similar to Katara's. On impulse, she reached out with her left arm and wrapped it around Katara's shoulders, holding her close. The two girls sat there in silence, not talking, not looking at each other at all. On her part, Katara was grateful for the warm touch, and grateful for the presence of a friend on a night when the only companions she had were memories of pain and sorrow.

The darkness around was nothing compared to the darkness of the soul. It was the sort of darkness that came into you, filling the void, the emptiness of loss. It was poisonous, noxious, seeping through every pore in her body, encroaching, slowly overwhelming, taking over. It was the darkness that men feared...the evil that was as ancient and primal as the first man. It came from the fear that the first man felt as he ventured out into the night, seeking food or shelter to comfort the ones he loved. It came from the fear that he felt, and it was the fear that he had to fight, because he needed to provide for someone he cared for. It came from the fear that a mother felt when she had to venture out alone to get medicine for her sick child. It was the fear in the face of love. But it was not fear for himself, nor fear for her own well being. What the man feared was that in his absence, the ones he loved would be left unprotected. It was the mother's fear that as she left to find the life saving medicine her child so sorely needed, she would not be there, at her child's side, when the child grew sicker and sicker and needed her most. It was the fear of finding out that when you came back...you were to late.

And when you find out that you were to late, you begin to feel regret. And from regret, you will feel rage. And rage will lead to anger, and anger will lead to suffering, but not only for yourself, but for the people whom you think is responsible for your loss. Perhaps the healer was away during the day, and so was unable to see the child. Perhaps the other hunters did not give him anything for his wife back home. Perhaps it was not your fault, and the person whose fault it was still lives on, unabated, unaffected, continuing onwards in life. Perhaps it is because you cannot move on. And this will go on and on, a continuous cycle of pain and suffering, until everyone is hurt. Until only death remains, as the only viable option to the sick semblance of life.

Could she allow his sacrifice to be in vain? The answer to that was obvious enough. Could she stand by and watch as all that he had worked for simply went to waste because of the foolish arrogance and naivety of one man? No, she could not.

But what could she do? What could she do? Could she do what she had sworn never to do again? Could she reach down into the depths of her soul and draw out the side of her that she had kept repressed for so long? Could she do what she knew was the greatest act of evil she could commit?

It was a half moon tonight, she saw. And she alone knew the significance of that.

* * *

War. The Earth King gazed at the wall before him, leaning back in his chair. He detested the word...hated even the thought of war. But war was a reality. War was now. 

His officers did not agree with him, that much he knew. The Earth Kingdom army was raring to go, yearning to avenge what they had viewed to be their greatest shame...the loss of Ba Sing Sei. The great city, lost without a fight...the army had been greatly embarrassed by that. It had been a point of honour that Ba Sing Sei had yet to fall to the Fire Nation, or to any army throughout its history. _As if it really mattered_, the Earth King thought to himself.

Honour. What is honour? What was so great about honour? Could you buy a pound of meat with honour? There was a story, the Earth King thought to himself. Unfortunately, he could not really remember it very well, for it had been years since he had heard it. Nevertheless, there were a few points which he could recall. There was a soldier whose wife was sick, and he had sold everything he owned to pay for her treatment. Sadly, she had died after a long and painful fight against the disease, and the soldier found himself penniless, with no money to pay for her funeral, having sold everything to buy the medicine and pay the doctor's fees. All he had left was his sword, and, to a soldier, one's sword was akin to one's personal honour. Selling it was out of the question. And so, with the body of his dead wife beside him, the soldier had fallen on his sword, killing himself and maintaining his honour, rather than selling the sword, paying for the funeral expenses, and using whatever little was left to start anew. The story was supposed to showcase the value one must place on honour, but to the Earth King, even as a small child, it had simply told him a far different moral. That people often did not value their lives as much as they should.

So, then, how could he condone any course of action that would lead to war?

He shifted in his seat. His back felt like painful lead. He had been sitting here for hours, going over various documents, looking at plans and recommendations from his advisors, and his back should have been numbed of all feeling by now. Yet how could all feeling be gone, and yet still be pain? _I was never this stiff before_. He leaned forward for a moment, then leaned back again with a rueful smile. _Too old_, was how his mind answered the question. And then the slight throbbing in his leg. _Arthritis_, he thought to himself, remembering the word his physician had told him.

He could remember his youth, the foolishness and the vigour that came with being young. He was still young, but the constant stresses had aged him prematurely, he knew, and what was supposed to be a man in his early fourties now looked like a man of sixty, at least. The Earth King permitted himself another smile. There had been precious little to smile about these days, and he was glad for these few moments of personal reflection and solitude, away from his advisors, from the servants, from the people around him.

Too bad he hadn't married, he thought to himself. A wife would be a constant irritation, with all the nagging and whining. But chosen carefully, a wife would also be a pillar of support, of love. Something that would never happen now. _No woman will marry me_, _looking like this_. He could, of course, force an arranged marriage, but the Earth King was no longer foolish enough to believe that those marriages would work. _Only on rare occassions_.

He had matured, very much so since more than a year ago. Gone was the sheltered Earth King who hid behind the robes of his Grand Secretariat, allowing others to do the ruling for him. Now there was a ruler, who, while still relatively inexperienced, knew his people well enough so that he could serve them as well as any king could. Here was a ruler, who, given time, would perhaps become the greatest Earth King to ever live and rule over the Earth Kingdom. Here was a ruler who would die for his nation, for he had lived with the poorest of his nation, had worked alongside them, had shared their hopes and fears.

Here was a man who had grown far faster than anyone could ever imagine. Here was a man who could finally take the throne of the Earth Kingdom and rule by serving. The Servant King. That was who he could become. Here was a man who could truly understand the needs of his people.

Unfortunately, no one else, especially amongst those who were supposed to be his closest advisors, could see that.

The Earth King reached for the glass of tea before him, and, thirsty from all the work, quickly gulped it down.

Behind the doors of the Earth King's office, the man shivered. He heard the surprised shout, slowly becoming hoarse and choked. He almost burst in then, but he could not. Not now, not so soon after the deed had been done. To his surprise, he felt tears running down his cheeks, and he burst into a sob, the full realization of what he had done finally hitting him.

He had killed his King.

Treason was not something that could be done easily, especially by one who had sworn to serve and protect his King at all costs, with complete sincerity in his heart. Even the most disillusioned of men can find remorse in their hearts. Even traitors could feel sorry. Even traitors could feel regret. You see, treachery can only be successfully done by two types of people. People who felt righteous anger, who had been sincerely wronged, who had such patriotism that bordered on fanaticism...and people who were so completely driven by greed. This man was neither, merely a confused pawn in a game that he barely understood, driven on by players whom he did not know.

As the Disciple felt guilty after betraying the Master, so did the Servant feel guilt after betraying the King.

Later, that night, or rather, early that morning, this same man would find himself standing on a ledge of the makeshift palace, staring down at the ground below. His only consolation would be that his death would be quick.

An afterthought; the true tragedy of Judas' life is not that he betrayed the Son of Man, but that he could have been forever known as Saint Judas instead of Judas the Traitor.

* * *

The Palace of Fire was a place of history, of political intrigues, but there was greatness here too, and that greatness was far more intimidating than the pettiness of politics. It went hand in hand with history, and history was something that Zuko did not know too well. But he did know that it was here that Fire Lord Sozin had promulgated the Fire Nation conquest of the world. It was here that Fire Lord Azulon had completed the conquest of the outer regions of the Earth Kingdom. It was here that Fire Lord Ozai plotted the downfall of Ba Sing Sei. And now, it was here that Fire Lord Zuko ruled the Fire Nation. 

The throne room had seen many Fire Lords come and go, and it would see many more Fire Lords in the future. The Throne of Fire. It was one of those trappings of power, but the power itself was an illusion, and a cruel one at that. For while the rest of the world remembered the Fire Lords as merciless harbringers of war and doom and destruction, for those who sat on the Throne of Fire, they would realise that power, however great, was always accompanied by obligations that were greater still. You could see and exercise the former, while the latter...you could only feel the latter, and every one else, observers of the power you exercised, could not see the obligations that you had thrust upon your shoulders.

"Fire Lord," Azula smiled, and her voice was mocking. Zuko did not mind, but the sardonic smile on her face made him uneasy. He was tired, he knew...the state function, and the incident that came with it, had taken a lot out of him. "Welcome back, Azula," he replied.

The seemingly ever present wall of flames was not here now, and its absence was conspicuous. But not as conspicuous as the absence of the third member of the family, Prince Iroh, who, against all sense, was unaware of this meeting.

"How was Ba Sing Sei?" Zuko asked. He stood, and stepped off the throne, mentally reminding himself that there was no need to part the flames that were now non existent. "Ba Sing Sei is as Ba Sing Sei always has been," Azula replied, moving forward. The siblings passed each other, and Zuko stood where Azula had previously stood, and she...the Fire Princess stood where the Fire Lord customarily sat.

"Nice view you have here," she said distantly, glancing around with a fairly curious look in her eyes. "The reports that you asked Ty Lee to send to me were not very informative," Zuko said, not wanting to be distracted from the business at hand, although, he admitted privately, it was a rather weak and non committed attempt at changing the subject.

"It was, wasn't it?" Azula observed, sitting down on the throne. "Ty Lee never could write very well."

"Well?" Zuko asked, his impatience showing in his voice. He stopped, and checked himself, looking at the girl in front of him to remind himself who exactly he was talking to.

"Well what?" Azula asked. "You sent me to Ba Sing Sei to deal with the problem, and I dealt with it. The way you wanted me to deal with it..._firmly_. That's why you sent me and not Uncle, isn't it? Uncle is too soft hearted for this sort of thing."

Zuko did not reply, but made his way back to his throne. He leaned on one of the pillars, glancing down at her. "There was no need to deal with it with such...violence," he said softly, but he did not really believe it himself, and he knew that Azula knew that.

"I heard you almost got yourself killed," she said then. "It was nothing," he said nochalantly, then smiled briefly to himself. "Was it you?"

"Why, Zuko...I'm shocked that you would even ask me such a question," Azula did not sound shocked at all. Merely amused. But that amusement was gone in an instant, as quickly as it came. "And now you have a representative of the Earth King here...that peasant girl, what's her name...Katara, or something. And that Kyoshi warrior. A Kyoshi warrior, Zuko."

"How did you know the poison was from Kyoshi?" he asked, suddenly suspicious. She smiled mysteriously. "I have my own sources here in the palace, brother dear. Do you really think that a princess loses all influence the moment her brother assumes the throne?"

It was a warning, and Zuko knew it for what it was. He smiled, and stretched. "Your concern for my safety touches me."

"You are my brother, Zuko, no matter how much I have tried to deny it. And believe me when I say that I have," Azula stood, and smiled. "I'm going to bed. It's been a long day. You should too."

"Maybe later," he replied. A small smile lit her face, and he was struck by how much she resembled their mother. But Princess Ursa's smile had been warm and welcoming. Azula's smile tended to be cold, and, in this case, mischievous. "Perhaps you would like to join us. Mai, Ty Lee and I are having a sleepover," she smirked, and bowed mockingly to him, before leaving.

* * *

As always, the world was divided by time and space, especially time, he would think to himself in those brief moments when he was feeling truly retrospective and philosophical. He was well over seventy, his frame bowed by years of selfless work, for his people, for his country, for the Fire Nation. It wasn't fair, really, he thought to himself. He had spent so long here, and now he was old, his body bent and tired, made all the more worse because there were so few young ones to give him the rest and respite he needed. But he did his best to put that thought aside. It was unworthy of him, unworthy of his place in the world, unworthy of his promises, made to Someone so long ago...forty, fifty years ago? He couldn't really remember...it had been that long, and there had been so many things that had happened in the intervening time. And now...now, the rise of Prince Zuko, the exiled one, to the place of Fire Lord. Truly, life was filled with wonders. You could never predict what would happen next.

The Fire Sage gazed at the statues. The last Avatar had almost destroyed the temple of Avatar Roku, but the statues, hand carved by craftsmen who devoted long hours to perfecting these products of their art, had survived, buried under the magma and soil and stone. And it had taken time, but that was time well spent, for now the statues were rescued, and a new temple was being constructed.

What for, though? The Avatar was gone...forever. His promises...his vows...he now had doubts about those vows, but he would admit them to no one. After all, his vows were all he had. Even as the younger ones left, the older ones stayed on, simply because they had nothing else they could do. This was all they knew.

Avatar Roku. Avatar Aang. And now...? The old man sighed, and turned his gaze away to the horizon, catching a glimpse of the first rays of the sun as it rose to herald the beginning of the new day. He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun's rays on his skin, reveling in it, enjoying the soft caress of the master of his element.

And slowly, gradually, but definitively, he realised that he was no longer alone.

* * *

Author's Notes.

Well, another chapter up. And, for your information, this is not a songfic, despite the beginning. You might want to read through it and ponder a little on why I put it up there. And do check out the song too...it is one of the most brilliant songs I've ever heard. And speaking of songs, I wrote this entire chapter listening to two songs over and over again...Mein Herz Brennt and Nebel, both by Rammstein. I recommend the former...it is, simply put...AMAZING. So what do you guys think of this chapter? There's a bit of Kataangness to the Katara part of it, which was simply incredibly hard to write, because Kataang...ugh. And the Earth King part is kind of longer than the other parts involving the Earth Kingdom, because I thought that if I was going to kill him off, I might as well give him a good sending off. This story is turning out to be rather dark.

Cool. HAHA.

And now for my comments on Avatar the last Airbender, the ACTUAL series. The Puppet Master was strangely eerie, while the episode Nightmares and Daydreams was hilarious. Incidentally, Roku is Zuko's grandfather??? O.o...Aang is spiritually related to Zuko. Wow. Major ewwwness.

And really, thank you for the reviews, and for the new readers who added this story to their Story Alerts and Favourite Stories. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read this. And yes, this really is my first fanfiction.

In any case, thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and I hope I am not disappointing you guys so far.

Bye!!!


	12. Chapter 11

**Dis**c**laimer: As has been previously stated in the last ten chapters, this author does not own anything belonging to Avatar the Last Airbender, because if she did, it would not be full of disgusting and icky Kataang-ness.**

**Chapter 11**

๑۩۞۩๑

* * *

At the heart of life is a void without purpose or meaning. There is no god. There is no love. All is emptiness and﻿ loneliness. Since time began I have been abandoned. I was abandoned then, and I am abandoned now, and I will be abandoned always.

So don't say goodbye like we'll never meet again. Leave me a lie at the season's end. Come lift the light into heaven with a song, and don't say goodbye, 'cause it's been so long.

* * *

He woke up. It was an act of pure spontaneity, one moment you were sound asleep, and the next, you were awake. The transition between rest and wakefulness was a quick one, but it took a while for his mind to fully awaken. He sat up on the bed, allowing the covers to fall off, resting his back on the cushioned wood behind him. The young Fire Lord shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his mind. 

He did not really want to dwell on what happened last night. The moment the memory of his words came to the forefront of his thoughts, he pushed them away, turning his mind to other things...things that were less shameful...things that did not bring that wretched feeling of regret into his heart.

He had been harsh. Too harsh. Too harsh, too soon.

_Damn you, and damn your mouth, Zuko_.

The young ruler of the Fire Nation swung his legs off the bed, feeling the carpet under his feet. He sat there, on the edge of his bed, and glanced at the wall at the far end of his room. He let his mind go blank for a moment, just gazing with unseeing eyes at the wall, not thinking about anything at all. It was peaceful, in a way, not having all those thoughts crowding in your head. And then he opened his eyes, and reality came flooding back in.

Zuko stood up, and moved to the door of his bedroom, opening it gently. He stopped, suddenly realising that he did not have his robe on, and backtracked to his dressing table to get it. After he had put it on, he stepped out.

Out into a new day.

He made his way to the royal baths, which was simply a vast hall below the palace. There were a number of subterranean caverns under the palace, with, considering the volcanic nature of the geography of the Fire Nation, meant that a number of natural hot springs were available. The architects of the palace had taken this into account and used it to their advantage, preparing a huge pool of hot spring water; the imperial baths. There were also pipes that channeled hot water up into the palace, but the baths itself allowed for swimming, something that could not really be done in the small bathtubs provided in the imperial apartments.

The heat assaulted him as he pushed the doors open, making him blink momentarily. He felt the hot air on his skin, and loosened the robe. An attendant, dressed in loose fitting clothing, bowed as he approached, holding out a towel and motioning his Fire Lord to a table, where there was a jug of cool mead and several glasses there. Zuko never did find out how exactly they managed to keep the liquid cool amidst the head of the baths.

The attendant left then, and the Fire Lord was left alone. He sat in silence, sipping the mead, closing his eyes. He took a last gulp, and placed the glass down, then stripped off the towel, dropping it messily on the floor. Then, he approached the edge of the pool, took a breath, and dived in. The heat of the water surprised him as his body cut the surface of the pool like a knife. He could feel the heat immediately across his skin, and he let out a contented sigh. A hot bath so early in the morning...he could feel the tension in his muscles slip away as they relaxed, and the heaviness in his body seemed to go away just like that. The pool was not deep, and he could have easily sat at the edge, allowing the walls to prop his back up, but instead, he simply floated on the surface, feeling the steam on his face, most of his body under the hot water. He glanced up at the ceiling, and then closed his eyes, feeling himself slip into a blissful half conscious trance.

_Did I really have to do that, to her of all people? Probably...or probably not. I don't know. But what do you know, Zuko? What do you know...what can you be sure of for certain?_ He didn't know, and the realization made him smile bitterly. _The ruler of the most powerful nation in the world, and I do not seem to know very much_.

_What are you doing, Zuko? What are you really trying to do? What do you intend to achieve? Total domination? To rule over the whole world? Is that what you desire? Is that what you truly want?_

_Yes?_

_No_. He did not want to rule the world. He did not even want to rule the Fire Nation.

But he had to. Because there was no one else who could. Or rather, there was no one else who should.

"Hello, Zuko."

He stiffened, and tried to sit up, but only succeeded in twisting in the water, sending him under for just a moment. He surfaced, the water clinging to his hair, coughing out and glaring blearily to the pool's edge. "What are you doing here?" he asked neutrally, keeping the surprise and the sudden anger at being surprised out of his voice, trying his best to sound unruffled.

Azula stood there, a towel wrapped around her body, just under her arms. She rolled her eyes theatrically at his question. "What do you think, Zuzu?" she asked, and pointedly turned her back to him, her hands moving upwards, to the fold that held the towel up. "Oh..." she paused, then continued, "Mai and Ty Lee will be joining me. As a matter of fact," the Princess drawled, cocking her head to one side for a moment, "I think they should be here soon."

The Fire Lord froze at the statement, and then he heard the unmistakable sound of the doors opening. Quickly, he leapt from the pool, his face flaming as he scooped up his towel and wrapped it as quickly as he could around his waist. His ears burned as he heard the sound of Azula's mocking laughter behind his back, and he tried to quell the burst of irritation that flashed through him.

"Hey, Zuko!" Ty Lee chirped, a huge grin on her face. The acrobat was clad like her friend, only in her towel, with sandals on her feet. She moved past him, her eyes glancing him over, and he averted his eyes just in time, trying, with some level of success, to control his blush. And then Mai entered behind her.

"Hello, Zuko," she said, and smirked. "Nice outfit."

"Hello, Mai," he replied through gritted teeth, and moved past her forcefully, keeping his eyes on the ground. He could hear the rustle of towels being dropped behind him, and then the splashing and squeals, from Ty Lee, as the girls entered the water.

"Do be a gentleman, Zuko, and pour us a drink," Azula said, and the Fire Lord stiffened. He bent down and reached for his robe, not even bothering to towel off his wet upper torso as he put it on, wrapping it securely around his body. Only then did he move to the table where the glasses were, reaching for the jug and pouring three glasses out. He picked them up as best as he could, remembering the time when he was but a simple waiter of a tea shop in Ba Sing Sei. It seemed like a lifetime ago, he reflected. _I was a different person then. I even had a different name._

_I wonder how Jin is doing_. The thought came suddenly, as did the memory of the girl. He smiled to himself, remembering, even as he moved back to the pool, glasses in hand.

_I wonder what she thinks of me now_. And then, another thought, this time a thought that made him feel cold all over, despite the heat from the hot spring, despite the steam now clinging to his body.

_I wonder if she is even alive_.

"Here," he said, moving to the edge of the pool. The girls, he saw, had moved to the middle of the bath, and Azula came towards him. He knelt as she approached, handing a glass to her. "Thank you, Zuko," she smiled, and again he was struck at how she could make words that were meant to convey gratitude into something else...something that seemed less pleasant. He caught sight of pale, bare skin, saw her wet hair clinging to her face, but the steam mercifully made it difficult to see anything else. He stood up again, and turned to the door, intending to leave.

"I heard about what happened last night."

He froze, and the shame washed through him again. He did not really have to turn to see the mocking smile on his sister's face. "You heard," he said neutrally. "It was nothing." He did not believe it himself, and he knew that she would not believe it for a second.

"I was impressed by the account of your speech, brother of mine," she said then, and he could just imagine the smile becoming wider. "Really?" he asked, without any enthusiasm whatsoever. If he turned, he knew, he would see her put on the mask of a serious face. As if he would have been deceived by it for a single moment. She knew him better than that, he knew, and yet she would still do it all the same, because it was what was expected of her.

"You certainly impressed the nobles, anyway." Zuko resisted the urge to shiver at her tone. There was something about Azula...something that he could not really put into words.

_Monster_.

_Mother was right_.

"I did not tell you this last night, but I was impressed by the way you handled things in Ba Sing Sei," he said, and he resisted the urge to turn and look her face to face. He could just imagine the smile on her face slipping away, to be replaced by a look of irritation. "You did well, Azula. Thank you."

"It was my honour to serve, Fire Lord Zuko," she replied, and the mockery in her voice was palpable, but he could also detect the irritation in there. _Don't you see, Azula? We can both play games, you and I_...He cautioned himself against feeling confident. Azula was not one to be trifled with. Especially when you had your back to her.

But Zuko did not really have any intention to turn.

He heard the splashing of the water, and the wet pattering of droplets hitting the ground as Azula stepped out of the pool. The sound of her bare feet slapping the floor came closer and closer, and the Fire Lord once again resisted the urge to turn, resisted the urge to summon a fistful of flame in the palm of his hand.

Azula smiled. She had seen his hand twitch.

Dripping wet, and completely naked to the world, the princess of the Fire Nation approached her brother from behind. "Will you be joining us for breakfast, Zuko?" she asked, and leaned in. Zuko could hear more splashing as, he deduced, correctly, it turned out, that Ty Lee and Mai had both joined the princess behind him. The thought that there were three naked girls behind him did not really occur to him at that point.

"Or perhaps..." Azula whispered into his ear, her mouth, and her body, barely a few inches away from his, "You would prefer some early morning entertainment. After all," she added, the amusement literally dripping from her voice now, "We were just about to have some fun. Weren't we, girls?" And now it did.

He swallowed hard, and she smiled. "Not today, Azula. It's a little early for me," he replied, and left, feeling her mocking gaze follow him out the door.

He did not look back.

* * *

And so begins another day. The Fire Lord entered his room once more, noting that a servant had laid out the clothes neatly on his bed. There was a time when the servant would have stayed in wait for the Fire Lord to help him change, but Zuko had put a stop to it. There was something about the whole act that seemed strangely inappropriate to him. He was the Fire Lord, yes, but it did not mean that he had to be waited upon hand and foot, did it? It was, in some way, an act of independence, a small way of reminding him that he could still take care of himself. He had learned as much in exile, when there had been no servants, no one to wash his clothes, no one to do this or to do that. And now, when there was someone, he needed something to remind him that he could still be independent. 

There were guards lined periodically along the hallways, all of them snapping to attention as he passed. He nodded to each of them, feeling the need to at least return their salute with a greeting of his own. His mind wandered ahead as he walked, reviewing the things he had to do, the official appointments that the royal secretary, a dour faced old man who had also served Fire Lord Ozai, and had been a junior scribe during the rule of Fire Lord Azulon, and, Zuko thought privately, had probably been alive when Fire Lord Sozin had declared war on the Air Nomads.

Well, he reflected, there was an appointment with the governor of one of the outlying colonies, something regarding taxation, if he was not mistaken. And then, of course, there was also the matter of the royal portrait. The artist who had been commissioned to paint the first of a series of portraits of Fire Lord Zuko had insisted on forwarding the date of the appointment, probably because, Zuko thought wryly, he wanted to complete the portrait before there was a successful attempt on his Fire Lord's life. His uncle's investigations into the matter, it always helped to downplay the assassination attempt, even in the privacy of one's own mind.

And then, of course, there was the negotiations with the Earth King's representatives.

_Oh, damn_.

It could not be avoided, he told himself firmly, trying to quell the disquiet in his heart. How could he possibly face her now...just a few hours after he had publicly humiliated her? How would she react? She would be polite and proper, in all probability. Cold, polite, to the point.

It would be uncomfortable.

He briefly considered trying to postpone it, but decided that doing that would be too obvious a ploy. Or perhaps I should let Uncle handle...no. Definitely not. Iroh...he did not know what his uncle would do.

It surprised him sometimes, and it troubled him. It was strange, in a way he could not put a finger on, for him to be trying to judge and gauge what his uncle would do. It seemed as if he was on one side, and his uncle was on the other.

It felt like a game...almost. But that was it, wasn't it? Politics...politics was a game, a deadly game with real ramifications and real consequences.

You could not be sure who was on your side, in politics. Sometimes, it was hard to even know which side you were on.

He glanced upwards, the familiar sight of the private dining hall meeting his gaze. This was a fair sized room, and was actually part of the imperial apartments. It was where the Fire Lord and his family would dine when there were no official functions or feasts to attend. There, hanging on the wall, was a painting of the sunset behind the gardens. A servant had drawn it, when he was younger, and given it to Princess Ursa as a birthday gift. It had been impressive enough for their father to have it framed and hung on the wall. The gardens, with the trees and flowers and the pathway that led through the maze, was partly illuminated in the evening sun, and partly shadowed. It looked realistic enough that even now, Zuko still felt a certain admiration as he gazed upon it.

His father had surprised his mother the day after her birthday by having it framed up, allowing her to choose where to place it. The memory brought a bitter smile on the Fire Lord's face. He had loved her. Ozai, that cold and cruel Fire Lord, had actually loved her after all.

_Family_. The word was in itself a strange thing to say. It evoked painful memories, for certain...the scar was a testament to that...but it also evoked memories of the family holidays, the wedding anniversaries, the birthdays celebrated...all gone now, a mere shadow in the corner of his mind. But good memories nevertheless.

_Did he ever love me_?

Even now, the question still hurt. Probably even more so now, because he would never ever find an answer.

The servants bowed as he entered, and one of them pulled the chair back slightly for him to sit down. He nodded curtly, and took his seat. "Will my uncle be joining me?" he asked. "The Prince has not risen as yet, Fire Lord," a servant replied, "And Princess Azula has informed us that she will not be having breakfast in the palace today."

"Oh?"

"I believe she intends to visit one of the new tea shops in the business quarter, Fire Lord. She did not go alone." By that, of course, he meant Ty Lee and Mai. Well, there was really no problem there. Usually, if an immediate member of the royal family were to leave the palace on any business, there would have been, at the very least, a full squad of Firebenders in escort. On other times, the entire building, the object of the excursion outside, would have been emptied of all unneeded inhabitants, and manned by Firebenders and soldiers.

But then again, having Mai and Ty Lee around was at least as good as a squad of Firebenders. And in any case, Azula did not need protecting.

"Very well," Zuko replied, motioning him to begin serving. It felt odd, and a little stupid, to be sitting here alone...eating alone. The Fire Lord leaned back into the chair, feeling the soft cushion behind his back, and turned his glance to the windows. There were three windows in the room, all overlooking the gardens. Of course, he could not see the gardens when he sat, but the view of the sky outside was enough. It had been artfully designed, this room. The architect had done well, remarkably well. The sunlight was flitered through the glass on the windows, and shone directly on the table. Natural lighting...invigorating, and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

He shifted in his seat, twisting his body slightly to glance at the picture behind him again. The servants had already left, having served the breakfast dishes, and the Fire Lord was left alone to dine. His eyes traveled along the surface of the canvas, and the Fire Lord indulged himself in a smile, lost in his memories once more.

For when it came to happiness, memories were all he had.

And sometimes, and this was one of those times, those memories were enough.

* * *

The general glanced at the town beneath him, wondering briefly if the inhabitants had already been evacuated. A part of him hoped so, but there was another part of him that did not really care. This general was a veteran of five campaigns in the Earth Kingdom, and years of war had slowly but surely numbed him in the face of pain and destruction amongst those who were nothing more than innocent bystanders in a war that would ideally involve only the soldiers on both opposing sides. But war was war, and in war, there was always collateral damage. And collateral damage was acceptable damage. 

He flexed his arms, feeling the armor on his body slightly heavier today. He tried to adjust the straps of his breastplate, but he could not use his gloved fingers properly. With a muttered oath, he placed the tip of his right glove into his mouth, bit it and pulled it off, spitting it out unto the ground. He shifted his arm, loosening the straps, feeling the strain around his chest slowly lessen, and the coolness of the air on the skin under the soft padded cloth he wore beneath his armor. Satisfied, he turned towards a soldier beside him, who snapped to attention as soon as he saw his general's eyes on him. "Begin the assault," the general said shortly, and turned back again, to gaze at the village before him, watching the battleground before the battle began, as if to commit the sight of the untouched and unspoiled town to memory. Because after he was done here, the town would look radically different.

"By your command, General." The order went out, and the flags went up. There was a brief pause, and then it began.

The Fire Nation forces were from the 26th Brigada; the 6th Armored Battalion of the 26th Brigada, numbering around five hundred soldiers with sixty tanks and twenty tank trains, which provided troop transport. The armored battalions were supposed to be amongst the most mobile of the Fire Nation forces, serving as the perfect attacking force to capture small towns. They were not burdened by the engineering corps with their bulky machinery and resources, who were needed for the construction of siege towers. These armored battalions were in fact a combination of infantry, tanks and a cover of cavalry, the latter very often serving as advance scouts and in patrol duties.

The battle formation was a standard doctrine of Fire Nation combat, which, unlike the Earth Kingdom army, the Earth Kingdom army being of course the only other army able to rival the Fire Nation Armed Forces, had to incorporate the use of heavier machines of war into their tactics. And so the tanks, or rather most of them, were massed at the head of the battalion, with the infantry positioned close behind, close enough that the exhaust gases of the tanks caused a few teary eyes and coughs. The use of tanks in close combat with infantry was not a viable option, especially when the opposing forces had Earthbenders on their side. And so it fell to the infantry, made up of non benders and benders; the non benders lined up in front of the benders; to begin the actual close combat element of the battle.

The tanks rolled out first, fifty machines moving side by side, a few feet apart of each other, holding a steady line. The ground beneath them seemed to shake as their tracks gorged and tore at the earth. And then they stopped, halting their advance at a predetermined line. There was a rolling sound as the turrets rose upwards, the barrels facing the sky. Silence again, as the tanks seemed to hold their breath...and then they fired.

The problem of advancing to attack while being under attack is as old as warfare itself. The idea of using some kind of moving construction for protection seems to be almost as old. After all, it was the Earth Kingdom that had built the first mobile siege engine; a large tapered tower, each side about a hundred and thirty feet, and sixty five feet wide, resting on twelve feet tall wheels. It had been rendered almost arrow proof by large steel plates hammered unto its surface. But it was slow, and had to be pulled by ostrich horses and rhinos, the beasts providing the main force in the movement of the tower. Since it was somewhat impossible to nullify the tower by itself, the opposing army had instead tried to nullify the beasts that pulled the tower, thus leaving it stranded far from the fortifications. The Fire Nation had taken this idea and added catapults and long cylindrical devises with iron balls filled with gunpowder inside them, a "cannon', which allowed for the use of Firebending in such a machine of war. But as the Fire Nation grew much more technologically advanced, the idea that a smaller, more mobile machine of war that could not only be used in a siege but also in open combat took shape, and the tank was born. The vehicle's powerful engine, gravity-fed by two petrol tanks, was at the back of the tank, leaving just enough room beneath the turret. The tank was fitted with a rotatable turret mounting a cannon that could be moved upwards and downwards.

The invention of the tank had probably been the Fire Nation's greatest military triumph before the war against the Air Nomads.

It was a strangely beautiful sight, the general mused to himself from his post on a ledge overlooking the Earth Kingdom town, as he watched the balls of fire rise out from the muzzles of the barrels, screaming as they tore through the air, hurling at the sky, and then falling down in a graceful arc, their tails shining brightly, and finally crashing down on the town below. The ground seemed to explode as the fireballs impacted, and dirt and soil was sent flying through the air, towards the defenders so firmly entrenched behind artificially raised barricades of stone and rock.

The second volley struck the defenders head on. Those who hid behind and beneath those barricades of rock were mostly non benders, and they were left with no way to defend themselves as the fireballs struck directly on their shelters. Some, more firmly constructed than the rest, held out on the initial volley. Others simply caved in on those who cowered behind them, pelting the soldiers with heated rock and molten iron. The screams began, the shouts and curses, as the third volley descended upon the defenders, and the air began to fill with the smoke and smell of burning soil, and the sounds of screaming from the pain caused by burning flesh.

The barrage continued without response. The purpose was, of course, to soften the terrain for the advance by the infantry. The tanks were too far away for anyone but the most skilled Earthbenders to attack, but the town was still well within range of their fiery missiles. Sozin's comet had ensured that. The Firebenders and the soldiers who manned the tanks had little to worry about, and any sudden counter attack by a small squad of Earthbenders, a tactic that had taken the Fire Nation armies by surprise several times, were negated by the presence of a constantly mobile infantry unit around the perimeter of the firing line. An Earth Kingdom general...General Sung, had come up with the idea of leaving small bands of Earthbenders, usually squads of five broken up into two teams, behind enemy lines, to launch quick surgical strikes at the less mobile units of the Fire Nation army; the tanks and heavy machinery. And the barricades constructed could provide effective hiding places for ambushes, forcing the invaders' movements through the terrain into killing zones where Earthbenders could effectively trap large numbers of Fire Nation soldiers and crush them. It was another tactic, and a brutal one, because brutality was not confined to one side in the war alone.

"Hold!" The order went out, and the barrage ceased, the steady thunder of fiery explosions now slipping into an uneasy silence...a deafening silence, as the defenders tried to recover and regroup, stunned by the barrage.

"Begin the bombardment again." And the silence broke with the shattering sounds of fifty guns erupting in a simultaneous concerto. The defenders, already shocked and stunned from the initial barrage, were suddenly faced with a second one. Those foolish enough to leave their foxholes and trenches were caught out in the open. And in the fray were those who had advanced to tend to the wounded. Even the medical corps were not spared from the brutality of the fighting, healers though they were, though fighters they were not.

The Fire Nation infantry advanced as the barrage of fireballs flew overhead, smashing into the ground in front of them. It was an advance done behind a curtain of fire, where both infantry and tanks had to cooperate to such a length so that the success of this tactic was ensured. The tanks provided a second barrage of fire, forcing the defenders to seek cover once again, and behind this barrage, the infantry would advance, covered by the deadly hail that forced the defenders who would have been allowed some opportunity to position themselves to meet such an advance back into cover, and thus allowing an element of surprise to be achieved in the midst of chaos. The advancement had to be done slowly for obvious reasons. After all, friendly fire was still deadly.

The curtain of fire lifted, and the infantry charged almost immediately, meeting little resistance as they advanced forward, entering the outer perimeter of the town. What was once stone walls and wooden huts was now a smoking ruin, and through the still burning earth the Fire Nation soldiers advanced with spear and sword in hand.

The first signs of resistance came as they entered the inner perimeter of the town. The ground here was untouched by the bombardment, for it was located to far at the edge of the range of fire to be so badly hit. The charge of the Fire Nation infantry had taken them by surprise, but the Earth Kingdom soldiers fought back bravely. Spear on spear, sword on sword, and the ring of steel on steel and the cries and screams and shouts of men locked together in a battle to the death entered the morning. The Earthbenders entered the fray as the non benders were pushed back. Ordered away from their posts in the so called 'killing zones', they immediately turned the tide of battle, forcing the Fire Nation soldiers back.The ground shook and heaved and rose up beneath them, and rocks flew and fell from the sky, crushing the heavily armored infantrymen beneath. The shouts of dismay from the Earth Kingdom men grew into shouts of triumph, and then into dismayed alarm once again as the Firebenders struck. The dust clouds behind them announced the advance of the tanks, the metal machines of war heralding the end of this battle. Heralding the triumph of the Fire Nation once again.

The general turned away. He had seen enough to feel sufficiently sickened, and for a moment he realized that he was not as numb and unfeeling towards pain and suffering and death as he had once thought. The smoke from the battle, and the burning smell of roasting flesh rose up the air, carried by the winds to the Fire Nation post on the ledge, and he felt the scent and stink of battle assail his nostrils. He covered his mouth and nose, resisting the urge to throw up and vomit, and instead spat on the ground, trying to clear the bitter taste of burnt flesh in his mouth. That thought was too much for him, the thought of burnt flesh in his mouth, and his stomach heaved.

The tanks crushed the dead and the wounded beneath their tracks, friend and foe alike, both indistinguishable to the limited view of the pilot of the tank. The rumble of the machine meant that he could not hear their cries of pain and screams of utter horror, their desperate shouts of warning and pleas for mercy. What he could see was the Earthbenders, foolishly positioned together, striking at his countrymen, his compatriots, his fellow soldiers, and what he felt was not only anger, but elation that his anger and rage could be satisfied. He signalled to the Firebender, who nodded, clasping his gloved hand into a mailed fist, and sending a jet of fire at the gunpowder filled tube before him. The tank shuddered, and the muzzle spewed out its deadly cargo, the ball of fire hurling towards the Earthbenders, who were now screaming. And then they screamed no more.

* * *

He walked through the debris, keeping his eyes averted from the occasional burnt corpse. His stomach was still queasy, but inspecting the battlefield and the soldiers after a battle was almost a force of habit. He expected his men to fight, and they expected him to praise them after a win on the battlefield. 

"Casualties?" he asked. The soldier beside him glanced at the parchment in his hand, but only for confirmation, because the figures were already in his mind. "Eighty, General. Forty two dead...mostly infantry. Not Firebenders." It felt ridiculous, saying that, because Firebender or not, they were still soldiers of the battalion.

The general sighed and nodded. The death rate was lower than he had expected, which was something to be happy about. If, of course, you could be happy about your own soldiers dying.

"Prepare their names for me. I will write to their families myself." And I'll damned well make sure that their families are well compensated for this. It was the only thing he could do, because he could not resurrect those who were already dead.

"Hail the victorious dead, my lord General," the soldier replied, and the general clasped a mailed fist to his heart, the ancient salute of the Fire Nation army. "How about the enemy casualties?" he asked. "Unknown, general, but we have estimated close to three hundred dead. Their wounded are over there," he nodded towards several large tents on the far side of the ruined town, "With ours. The doctors are treating them now."

"Any officers?"

"A few. Seven, the highest ranked one is a colonel. We have five in the town hall, just around the corner. There was a major...he has already begun the interrogation, General."

"So soon?" the General asked. "Very well. Conduct me to the town hall, if you please." He lost nothing by being polite, after all, and he did gain respect for his civility.

The inner buildings of the town had also suffered, the general noted. The buildings here were mostly made out of wood, and it was these that still burnt, the fires devouring the buildings with a ravenous hunger. Black smoke rose from the ruins, coiling upwards and around, and the air was hot and oily. It seemed to shimmer around him as he walked through the town. He was sweating now, sweating profusely, and he could feel the ash and dust and oil mixing with the sweat that now poured out from his skin, giving it a dirty grey, almost black color. The sweat ran down his face and neck and joined with the sweat in his body, under the armor, where the heat made it seem even hotter than before. He could feel his underclothes being soaked with his sweat, clinging to his back and chest and stomach. He jerked his head, and a drop of sweat entered his eye, making it water. He blinked and turned, and then caught side of a tank that had exploded. The metal was torn and jagged, and it did not take an engineer to explain what had happened. A shard of pure rock had punctured through it, tearing the petrol tanks, causing the oil to spill out. And when the hapless crew had ignited another shell, a stray spark had come into contact with the flammable liquid, and the resulting explosion had turned the sleek machine into nothing more than an over sized crumpled tin, roasting the crew alive, burning them, using the oxygen to burn, choking the crew even as they were cooked alive. Their bodies had been mercifully removed. It was ironic, in a black, twisted way...the machine that they had used to inflict so much pain and suffering and death had in turn inflicted the same pain and suffering, and ultimately, death, upon them.

The general shook his head, trying to banish those thoughts from his mind. War was never gentle...war was cruel.

War was war.

"In here, General." The soldier held the door open for him, and he stepped through, ducking slightly, even though the top of the door 's frame was still several inches above him.

"General!" There were a few salutes, and a general straightening of backs, as men snapped to attention, standing with their bodies erect, hands down at their sides. The general nodded, and moved his hand aimlessly, indicating to them that they could now return to whatever they had been doing before he had entered.

"Here, my lord General." A chair was pulled out and carried over to where he was, and the general gratefully sat, nodding his thanks to the young soldier who had brought it for him. A glass was found, and the contents of someone's personal water canteen was poured inside, and handed to the general. He sipped it, thankful for something to pour down his throat, and found, to his surprise, that it was not water, but wine. Cheap wine of course, but wine nevertheless. He looked up and grinned at the soldier, an unshaven middle aged man, and was gratified when he received a broad smile in return.

"Any news?" he asked, his voice sounding hoarse. He cleared his throat noisily, and repeated his question. "Any news?"

"There is something, General." The major entered the room and saluted. "You, uh, might want to hear this for yourself, sir." There was something about the way the man said it that immediately perked up his interest. "This had better be good, Major," he replied, slowly hoisting himself up and downing the last of the contents of the glass. He toasted the middle aged soldier appreciatively, placed the glass down, and followed the major into the interrogation room.

He entered the room. It was almost bare, except for a table and three chairs, one of them on one side of the table, and the other two on the opposing side. The one that was alone on its side was occupied by a man in Earth Kingdom uniform. Not standard uniform, the general noted immediately, but the uniform of an officer. "The colonel?" he asked the interrogator, and the major nodded.

"Well?" he sat down, his armor clanking noisily as the metal plates met the wooden chair. The prisoner was dirty, but obvious effort had been made to clean him up, but there were patches of blood on his sleeves and the front of his shirt, as well as some remaining patches of soot and dust on his face, hair and hands. He placed his hands on the table, and the general noted the blood on the tips of his fingers.

The prisoner took a deep breathe, glanced for a moment at the major, and then turned back to the general.

"The Earth King...is dead."

* * *

Author's Note 

Yet another chapter up. And I think I have a few explanations to make about this story on the whole. This is a Zutara story, and it will involve the romantic-ness and all, but I also kind of want to include the political situation, the situation on the ground as the Fire Nation continues expanding, because I find it interesting. Some of you may find it boring, I know, and I apologize, but it just seems more enjoyable for me to touch on the war from the point of view of a general, like I've done here. I know, some people may think that I took such a long time to build up to the one fact that the Fire Nation now knows that the Earth King has been assassinated, and I admit that I could have simply put in something like...'Our spies report that the Earth King is dead', but that seems kind of clichéd to me. I like to write long descriptive things, and I know that I'm not so good at it, but I'm trying my best to improve, and you can only improve by writing more, right? So yes, the story is moving slow, but I cannot just make it move faster all of a sudden, because it would be somewhat contrary to the mood of the previous chapters that I've written. And this is going to sound oh so very self praising, but I am hoping that the longer, more fleshed out scenes, as it were, will hint at some symbolism, because that would be just so damned cool, don't you think? Do me a favor, and do let me know what you guys think about the story so far. I've got more than two hundred readers per chapter, as far as I can tell, and while to the readers of this story who are also authors, it may seem like a very small number, it is kind of remarkable to me, because I've never had two hundred people reading my work before. The most I've had was thirty classmates reading an essay I wrote that my teacher stuck on the class notice board. So to me, two hundred is a lot.

Oh, and the reason for this explanation is because someone messaged me, and like an idiot, I deleted my email inbox and have completely forgotten who it was. So this is my reply, and don't blame me for forgetting, blame for not creating a way for account holders to check personal messages on the site itself, as opposed to reading it in the mail. Your username was long enough for me to forget too. Mine, on the other hand, is short and sweet...but I digress, lol.

Anyways, I hope that you guys will understand why this story seems to be moving slow, and I really hope that you will stay on with me till the end of it. When it will end...I can't really say, but you have my solemn promise that one way or the other, I will complete this story. I know how irritating it is when a story you are reading suddenly stops and is discontinued. I mean, just when its getting good...

Wow, that was long...almost as long as this chapter.

So, bye!!! THANKS FOR READING

๑۩۞۩๑


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Due to circumstances as yet unforeseen, this author finds herself grouped amongst the denizens of the lower strata who do not have any claim whatsoever on the brilliant epic that is Avatar.

Chapter 12

๑۩۞۩๑

* * *

Devour in self-deceit, conjure the righteous plague  
Testify of today's contradiction, glorify in tomorrow's deed. With the ignorance from your cross as your witness,  
The truth of your tragedy may you justify. In your mirror the high spirit of kindness  
looks like malice.

It will be our wish and purpose that the processes of peace, when they are begun, shall be absolutely open and that they shall involve and permit henceforth no secret understandings of any kind. The day of conquest and aggrandizement is gone by; so is also the day of secret covenants entered into in the interest of particular governments and likely at some unlooked-for moment to upset the peace of the world. It is this happy fact, now clear to the view of every public man whose thoughts do not still linger in an age that is dead and gone, which makes it possible for every nation whose purposes are consistent with justice and the peace of the world to avow now or at any other time the objects it has in view.

We entered this war because violations of right had occurred which touched us to the quick and made the life of our own people impossible unless they were corrected and the world secured once for all against their recurrence.

What we demand in this war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world, as against force and selfish aggression.

All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us.

* * *

It started early, even before the sun had risen. The dawn was hours away when the young prince awoke. There was only a moment of disorientation, a moment of ignorant stupefaction, because the realization that the day had come was upon him in a flash. He blinked, and, for a moment, it seemed as if his heart had stopped beating. He threw away the covers, and got out of bed, ignoring the protest of well rested muscles. He glanced out at the darkness, moving to the window to look out at the early morning sky. There was something to do today. There was something that had to be done. 

For the last one of these, Fire Lord Ozai had donned white clothes on the express wishes of his father's last will and testament, but over ten years had passed, and there had not really been any arrangements made for this. Nothing. No last will and testament, no orders given, no documents set aside for any special procedures, no last requests. In his room, the son glanced at the wardrobe. Dark clothes would suffice, he decided, covered in a robe of pure red. What to wear was the least of his worries, anyway.

He stepped out into the hallway. There were no servants, no guards. It was empty, not only in the physical sense, but in another way he could not really explain. It was as if even the palace was mourning the passing of its former master in its own inconceivable way. The sound of footsteps echoed in the lonely corridors as his heavy boots clipped the ground. As he came to a small hall with three doorways leading to three different places, he paused, wondering where to go. Abruptly, he entered the first doorway, walking stiffly, quickly, his back straight, his eyes fixed firmly forward.

The casket was made out of solid wood, polished until the glint of the candles reflected on its smooth surface. There were two handles, long and black, with gold at the ends, on either side of the coffin. The cover was glass, wiped and polished, no scratches, not even a single speck of dust on it. He could just see the foot of the coffin from where he stood, at the doorway to the small room where the body had been interred, to lie in state for three days, long enough for various officials and nobles to pay their last respects to the man they had called Fire Lord for what seemed to be an age of its own.

He bit his lip, and entered. There were no officials there, no generals, but there was someone there. She turned as he entered, but did not say anything, merely looked at him. She did not even nod in acknowledgement, but then again, neither did he do anything to greet her. She was standing by the coffin, hands clasped behind her back, looking down. Wordlessly, he moved beside her, their bodies inches away from each other. She turned again, and their eyes met. Brother and sister, prince and princess. Son and daughter, both unsure of what to do, both unsure of what to feel. And then the masks crumpled, and the tears began to fall.

The sun wasn't as warm as it should have been, the wind saw to that, and its hard cast shadows merely served to make things seem colder. The palace guard led off with a quick march, maintaining a constant pace, not too fast but not too slow, their boots striking the stone pavements in a steady staccato. Behind them were three drummers holding a slow measured beat, with intervals in between. And behind the drummers marched the soldiers; they were from the 18th Brigada's Third Battalion, which had once been Prince Ozai's own. And then the riderless rhino, no saddle on its back, walking without anyone to lead it, as if even the beast knew the need for decorum and solemnity on this occasion.

And then came the cart, pulled by two soldiers. The surface of the cart was covered in white cloth, on which the coffin laid. Right behind it was the three remaining members of the royal family, walking stiffly, eyes fixed on the coffin of the man whose rule had held sway over an entire nation for more than a decade. His brother, dressed in full armor on this day, his cloak flapping behind him. There was grief on his face, grief for the man he had once, and probably still, called brother. In his mind, he could remember yet another funeral...another funeral, with vastly different conditions. The son wore dark clothes, almost black, his red robe billowing behind him, and the daughter wore the customary red of the Fire Nation, only this time, contrary to her usual self, she wore a dress that trailed on the ground behind her as she walked.

The procession stopped at the foot of the stairs, and the prince turned to look at the crowd. There they were, almost a hundred...a thousand? Perhaps even more, perhaps less. He could not really care less. It was a state funeral, unlike the private funeral he would have perhaps preferred. His father had not been his father alone. His father had been Fire Lord, ruler of the Fire Nation...a father to the people. They had the right to see his funeral.

Two soldiers walked to the coffin, lifting it up and pulling it forward, their actions mirroring the stateliness of the entire affair. Two more soldiers joined them, moving to the head of the coffin and lifting it above their heads. Even in death, the Fire Lord had to be respected. The four men walked up the platform to the pyre, a stone block covered with cloth, surrounded by four pillars that housed a roof on top. The body was placed slowly, gently, and the soldiers bowed down on all fours, bowing for the last time to the Fire Lord. There was a general shuffling of feet, as the entire congregation followed suit, their foreheads touching the cold stone beneath their feet, their eyes closed. Perfect silence, save for the fluttering of capes and the banners that lined the pavilion. Banners bearing the mark of the Fire Nation, the emblem of flame.

Two men approached, clad entirely in white. Fire Sages, forsaking their customary red robes in favor of the white ones they wore at funerals. They did not bow, but they kept their heads down, their eyes on the ground ahead as they walked carefully up the stairs of the platform to the pyre. They had a duty to do, the last duty they would do in service of their Fire Lord. They reached the top of the steps and walked towards the stone block. As one, they raised their hands forward...

The pyre burned with the ferocity of a thousand suns, or so it seemed. The coldness in the air seemed to evaporate instantly, lost in the heat of the flames that licked the stone block. It was bright orange, tinted with a reddish glow, and then grey smoke. The fire danced gleefully, and within moments, the stone block and the burden it bore were consumed, the flames barring anyone from seeing it consume the corpse.

But the ceremony was not done, for there was something else to do. Something else to take place, just as momentous as the one that had just ended. Even as the flames from the fire roared behind him, the young prince stepped forward, facing the bowed congregation of red before him. He could see their banners flapping, for the wind had intensified, whipping across his face. He did not move, did not blink, even as his eyes watered. The coldness on his face was met with the heat he could feel behind his back. He stood, facing cold wind in the front and hot fire at the back. He was briefly aware of the two sages approaching him, just out of the corner of his eyes, but he did not turn to the side to look at them. He kept his eyes fixed to the front, watching as the sea of red rippled, the people lifting their faces, standing up on their feet. He did not blink, did not move a single muscle as the sages placed something on his head. He could feel it there, a crown of gold, seemingly light, but heavier than it looked.

And then the congregation bowed again, as did the two sages, and the two other members of the royal family who had been standing on his right. They bowed as one, mourning the passing of one Fire Lord, and celebrating in the ascension of another. For at that moment, a boy became man, a son became father, an exile became master, and a prince...a prince became...Fire Lord.

All hail...all hail Fire Lord Zuko.

And somewhere, deep within the palace, in a great hall that had tiled floors and pillars of gold that stood on all four corners, the Throne of Fire burned once more.

* * *

It was a day, like all other days, and the Fire Lord was in his study, standing by the window, as always. It was, in a way, his favourite place to be in the room. The air was pleasant, not too hot, even for this time of the year, when the volcanoes in the south would be at their most active, spewing their lava and belching smoke and ash into the sky, a show of power that was just that, a mere show, a mere hint of what could be unleashed from their fiery pits...an ineffectual threat, for there had not been an actual eruption in a hundred years. 

The last Avatar, the man who had been Avatar before Aang...Avatar Roku...his grandfather. Even now, it seemed like an incredible twist of fate. To think that the two enemies had been friends, and to think that the man who had sent his great grandfather to his death had been...his great grandfather. It was Fate...Fate, toying as she did with the ebb and flow of history, twisting and turning the destinies of men. She wasn't the friend or foe of any person, was she? She was a trickster, and she could play cruel tricks.

He heard the door open, the turning of the knob a sharp intrusion into his private thoughts, the solitude that the wandering of his mind afforded to him. He heard the quiet shuffling of feet as the person entered, and immediately he knew who it was who had walked in through the door. There was only one person it could be, one person who could simply walk in without acknowledgement, with no fear of any repercussions for entering the private study of the Fire Lord.

It had been a good day, he thought to himself, regretfully.

"She's out there waiting, you know."

"I know." The Fire Lord did not move from his position in front of the window, overlooking the gardens below. He glanced wistfully at the grass, feeling the cool breeze ruffle his hair, caressing his face with a gentle touch. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, feeling as if he could stand here forever, at the window's ledge, staring out into the gardens, at the skies, at the birds that roamed free.

Freedom. One word...freedom.

His robes felt tight around him, as if they were chains, set to trap him, to render him immobile. The collar of the fine robes that he wore, stiff and straight, trimmed with scarlet and gold, now seemed to be nothing more than a noose, a rope around his neck, choking...suffocating. He could not resist the urge to run a finger on it, trying to loosen it somewhat...He swallowed uneasily, and almost smiled then, as another thought entered his mind. Strange that such thoughts can frighten even you, Fire Lord Zuko.

"You should go and meet her, Fire Lord Zuko. It will not reflect well on the Fire Nation if the Fire Lord is to be late for a meeting...especially a meeting of such importance." His uncle's tone was stiff, very much different from the tone of voice he normally used with his nephew. He was still angry, the Fire Lord knew, over his nephew's conduct the night before, but it was not in Iroh's character to show his temper in a display of rage or shouting. And he had every right to be angry, after all. What Zuko had done...the Fire Lord closed his eyes once more, feeling the shame pass through him again. The old man's eyes were disappointed, and he did not even look at the young man who had, in so many ways, become the son that he had lost on that fateful day in Ba Sing Sei.

It was necessary. It had been needed. It had to be done. He was the Fire Lord, and it was his duty, his burden to bear. He was not just Zuko any longer...he was Fire Lord Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai. He ruled the Fire Nation. Not Iroh, not Azula. It was he who sat on the Throne of Fire. He could not be Zuko...could not be the prince or the Fire Lord that his uncle wanted him to be. Because his uncle's dream was just that...a dream, something that could only be achieved in utopia, in a perfect world, and this world was far from perfect. This world was real, and reality was much, much uglier than dreams.

"What importance, Uncle?" he asked suddenly, just as the old man was about to leave, perhaps thinking that his nephew had decided, as he had done many times before, to avoid the problem at hand. Zuko saw Iroh stop at the door, his hand freezing as he reached for the knob.

"What importance? We all know how this meeting will end. I cannot withdraw the soldiers...there is too much at stake. I cannot simply declare the colonies free from Fire Nation rule. The people will not agree. There is nothing she can do to change my mind."

"Have you asked the people, then, Zuko?" the old man replied quietly. "You cannot withdraw the soldiers, or you will not withdraw the soldiers? Which is it, Fire Lord?" The old man turned, regarding his nephew steadily. "You have made your decision even before she came. You have already chosen war, from the beginning itself. Without even hearing what she has to say. Without even thinking this through. Again, Zuko. Again."

That was it, the last straw, the words that sent a wave of sudden anger coursing through his veins, boiling his blood. He felt himself rise up to his feet, his heart pounding in his head, the anger taking control of him. He could see his uncle's eyes widen as he stood, and the old man seemed to take a step back, back away from his nephew. "What is wrong with you, Uncle?" he yelled, smashing his fist on the table,as he rose to his feet. "Who's side are you on? Can't you see that we are so close now...so close to achieving all that we had wanted to achieve for so long? We stand on the brink of victory, and you tell me to retreat...to give up? Why? The Fire Nation will be victorious, Uncle...victorious! We are so close...so damned close, and yet you still argue for peace. Why? Can't you see what we can do, what the Fire Nation can do? Why do you keep supporting them? Who's side are you on, Uncle? Who's side are you on?

The Avatar killed my father! He killed your brother! The Avatar has killed our soldiers, Uncle. Our soldiers...our people! He killed my father, and they expect me to give them peace? Peace?" He took a step forward, breathing heavily, not actually knowing what he was doing. It was as if there were two parts to him, one part raging, and the other part simply watching in detached silence, not comprehending, not able to do anything to stop or to support. His movements were stiff, jerking, and his fists were clenched at his sides, and even that he did not realize. He could only feel the anger in his heart, the anger and the pain, the fury and loss, the frustrations that he had felt, that he had been feeling for so long now. It felt good...it felt so very good to release them, to channel the emotions that had been simmering within his mind and soul for such a long time. He felt strangely triumphant, strangely powerful. He felt the raw anger, and he could feel the power that came with it. It was fire...fire that burned in the depths of his soul, and without even knowing it, he had embraced it.

"They tried to assassinate me! They tried to kill me! They killed Lu Ten, Uncle! Lu Ten died in Ba Sing Sei...or have you forgotten that? Have you forgotten how he died? By who's hand did he die, Uncle? By their hand. By the soldiers of the Earth Kingdom! And yet they ask for peace! Peace! Peace is nothing more than a precursor to war, and here we have a chance to end this war, once and for all! The love of life that the Avatar espoused was nothing more than hatred in disguise, a carnival creation with its mask undone! There is no peace, there is only war, for peace is the time when you sharpen your swords. In peace you gather your armies, and in peace...you declare war.

Throughout the centuries, war has formed our world. Even more so on this day, in this age. This is the age of reckoning, for we stand on the crossroads of our destiny! You told me that once...you told me to choose, and to choose well. Have we not for too long stood in the shadows of one man's choice? Have we not paid the price; the blood of our nation, and the blood of the nations of the world? Can I simply turn away from that, the lives that have been lost? Can I just waste away their sacrifices...simply surrender to the naive morality of a young boy and a girl so foolishly in love? Can I justify our surrender to the people, when they expect nothing more than victory...total victory...the victory that they know...that the whole world knows...is inevitable?

Is the blood of the Fire Nation so easily spilled...so easily poured out...so easily wasted, that we can discount the losses of so many? Are the lives of the soldiers of the Fire Nation so cheap...cheaper than the lives of the Earth Kingdom? What do we care for them, for do we not look to our own first? Does a mother care for the child of another, depriving her own child of milk to nurse another starving baby? Should we not look to our people first of all, before we give credence to the morality that governs the whole world? Does our people suffer, or do they glorify in war? Have they spoken out against our actions, or have they sent their children out to fight for us?

Are we not the undisputed prodigy of warfare, fearing all the mediocrity that they possess? Should we not hunt the bastards down with our might, and claim the throne that is rightfully ours? Consider the gods that we could be without the grace...consider the power that we could embrace, consider our right to the world, the right to the throne of all thrones. We are the Fire Nation, greatest of all the nations... should we not rule the world?

Total death in every nation, filled with monuments of vanquished civilization, all of them just as brilliantly removed, all of them just as ruthlessly eliminated...the cornerstone of human emotions has now been drained away, and death becomes the most common nature. And in death the world shall be reborn, consumed in fire and rising from the ashes...through fire, nature is reborn anew.

Vengeance will be mine, neither sweet nor kind. No longer will I simply sit back and be held responsible for the error of their ways. No more, Uncle...no more. For they are in error, for they are the ones who are wrong. Their hesitation...their acts of defiance...and now their calls for peace. They send a girl here, to appeal to my conscience. Do you think that I do not know why they sent her here? Katara of the Water Tribe, the one who had lost both a brother and a friend, a lover perhaps. They see her as a way to invade my conscience, to make me feel guilt...guilt for continuing this war, guilt for not acceding to their demands, to the commands of the Avatar. But my conscience stands defiantly proud and erect, I seek no forgiveness for my sins, no mercy for my deeds, no justification for my decisions. The Avatar...I owe him nothing, but scorn and contempt, hatred and anger. The Avatar's sacrifice is meaningless to me, for he is dead, and I still live. His sacrifice will be in vain, for from his death shall I forge the flames of war.

My decision was made a long time ago, Uncle...on the day when I watched my father's body burn on the pyre."

He lapsed into silence, and took a deep breath. His uncle just stood there, as if rooted to the spot. The old man turned slowly, then glanced back at the Fire Lord. "You would continue this war for revenge, Zuko?" he asked, his voice soft, yet loud in the silence that had now returned to the room. "Revenge? Revenge is a poison, Zuko. It is like acid. It burns you, Zuko...it will burn you. You would sacrifice the lives of thousands more to this senseless war for revenge? There will be losses on our side, Zuko...our side, as well as the Earth Kingdom. Perhaps you truly do not care about the peoples of the Earth Kingdom, or the Water Tribes, but what of the soldiers...the Fire Nation soldiers who will now die as a consequence of your actions. Not every one of them is a Firebender. Not every one of them will be protected by the power of Sozin's comet..."

"Not every one of them will die, Uncle." He spoke suddenly, cutting off the old man. "There will always be losses in war. Always. We cannot avoid that. But if we strike now, before they can fully prepare themselves...now, when they are expecting peace...we can limit the losses on our side. We can maintain the element of surprise. Already, we are advancing the fronts...even as we speak, our forces continue to press into the Earth Kingdom. Victory is close at hand, Uncle...if we can reach forth and grasp it. The impetus is ours, this chance is ours to seize. The time of the Fire Nation has come...a new age in this world. Victory, Uncle...and complete domination."

"You cannot truly believe that this madness will come to be, Zuko! There are four nations, there have always been four nations, and there will always be four nations!"

"Three." The coldness in Zuko's voice surprised even him. "The Air Nomads are no more. The death of the Avatar saw to that. There are only three elements, and yet there is no apocalypse, no end of the world. The Airbenders are gone, wiped off the face of the earth. No longer do they fly in the skies...their temples are nothing more than ruins now, monuments to a fallen race, crumbling even now, soon to return to the dust from which they were raised up. The Airbenders are no more, and yet we still exist. And yet we still continue to live, to thrive. The world continues, Uncle...with or without them."

"The balance is gone, Zuko."

"What balance? The only imbalance that I see is the tipping of the scales to our favor. The world has changed, Uncle, since the days when all four nations were equal. Now, there is only us. The Fire Nation. The balance is gone, yes...shifting to our favor. There is no nation that can match us in strength...soon, with the colonies spreading, in a matter of years, or decades, perhaps, there will be no nation that can match us in numbers. The time of balance has ended in favor of a new world order, a new order where we, the Fire Nation, shall rule supreme above all."

"And what then, Zuko, when you have completed your plan for world domination? What then? Will you simply sit back, contented? Power is a dangerous thing, Fire Lord. You can never have enough of it. You will continue to desire it, do have more of it. You will not content yourself in seeing the other nations subjugated. You will want more. Your desire for power will consume you...it will drive you onwards...it will make you do things you would have never considered doing in other times. Even complete domination over the Earth Kingdom, the Southern Water Tribe, and the Northern Water Tribe will not be enough for you...even though there is nothing left to achieve, no more power to yearn for, you will still find yourself wanting more and more and more. This is a dangerous path you have set for yourself, Fire Lord. Beware, for your sake, for the sake of those around you. Be wary, Zuko, for your own sake.

Power is a false idea, Zuko. You think that power is strength. But it is not. I have found strength where one does not look for it: in simple, mild, and pleasant people, without the least desire to rule. This desire to rule has often appeared to me a sign of inward weakness: they fear their own soul and shroud it in a royal cloak...the royal cloak of power! In the end, they still become the slaves of their followers, their fame, slaves to the positions of power they had worked and striven so long to achieve.

Do you think that after you continue to plunge this world into war, there will finally be peace? Do you think that by conquering the other nations, your work will be complete, and you will simply be allowed to sit back and rule over them in peace? How can anything originate from its opposite? Can the truth come from lies, Zuko? Can the generous deed come out of selfishness? Do you think that Sozin's great vision could really come true from the covetousness that he held within his soul? No, Zuko. The same holds for war. No peace can come from war. Anyone who dreams of it as such is nothing more than a fool, a fool who holds his illusion from the thought of a paltry and seductive world of power, in the turmoil of delusion and stupidity. The genesis of war from peace is nothing more than wishful thinking...a dream, nothing more."

"You risk a lot, to call your Fire Lord stupid in his face; a fool and a dreamer in the same breath."

"You may be my Fire Lord, Zuko...but you are also my nephew. No...not a nephew, Zuko...you are more than a nephew to me...you are my son."

The Fire Lord froze then, and sat back in his chair, slowly, not even thinking about it. The Dragon of the West took a deep breath, his voice now soft, gentle and appealing. "Think, Zuko...I am begging you, Fire Lord Zuko, I am begging you as I have never begged you before...think before you act."

He turned away, moving towards the door. His hand touched the knob, the fingers recoiling slightly as if in surprise from the cold metal. There was something more that had to be said, something that he had to say to his nephew, something that he had to set clear to the young man who sat behind him.

"But whatever your decision, Fire Lord, know this...that I will stand with you. Now and forever. I will be with you, Zuko. I will be with you. But all I ask is that you consider this...before you decide to act. And consider quickly, Fire Lord...before it is too late."

The door opened, and the old man moved through the empty frame.

"But I will be at your side, Zuko...no matter what."

* * *

She sat, feeling, strangely enough, not nervous at all. There was nothing that could be done about it, she had reasoned to herself, and now she felt calm. It was a peculiar feeling, knowing that you were about to do something you had never done before, something of such importance, something that you did not really want to do...and yet feeling not a single twinge of fear or nervousness. No, she smiled to herself...the fear, the nervousness, it would come, in due time. 

The room was small when compared to the other rooms in the palace. There was a round table, with five chairs by the sides. The windows filtered the sunlight in, giving the room a warm look, something definitely out of place for the unpleasantness that was almost certain to come from this conference. The Fire Lord had made his position clear the night before, and it would be a difficult, if not impossible task, to change his mind.

_"Can I end this war? Perhaps...yes. But should I? Should I end this war? Should I surrender the lands which we have fought hard to gain? Should I simply pull the armies back into the Fire Nation?"_ She closed her eyes, remembering his words, words spoken with a feverity, with conviction. With cold amusement.

_"And what of the Avatar? What of his sacrifices? Well...well, what of it, Katara?"_

The anger flared once again within her, and she clenched her fists, feeling it burn in her heart. She tried to banish it, tried to turn her thoughts away from those thoughtless words.

Could he really have believed those words? Could Zuko actually believe in this war? It seemed impossible...that he, the exiled son of the Fire Lord, would actually consider continuing the war that had caused so much grief...to her, to everyone...even to him. Didn't he learn that war would solve nothing, that war could only lead to more problems, more grief, more suffering?

How dare he speak of Aang that way.

The door opened, and she half rose from her seat, the words of greeting that she had thought of the night before rising unbidden in her mind, on the tip of her tongue. And then she froze.

"Hello."

Azula leaned on the doorway, and there was a sardonic grin on her lips. She shifted her body, straightening it, and walked into the room, the smile not once leaving her lips. It was as if the Princess of the Fire Nation was savoring the moment, enjoying every bit of the surprise on Katara's face. She pulled a chair and sat, placing her legs, one crossed over the other, almost casually on the table. It was a studied insult, and Katara knew it instantly for what it was.

"My brother will probably be late...there are so many things he has to see to, you know. It comes with being on the throne and all," she said lazily. "Oh, no need to stand...Katara. Please, do sit." It was strange, almost alien, to hear her name being spoken by the Princess.

"So he sent you in his stead?" Katara asked, sitting down, determined not to show the nervousness that had so suddenly welled up within her. She would not show weakness in front of Azula.

"Well...not exactly," the Princess demurred, glancing at the table, then back at the Water Tribesgirl before her. "A Princess is free to go wherever she wishes, after all...and this is a matter that concerns the Fire Nation, and, as such, concerns me." She turned to the door, and Katara followed her gaze. There was a servant there, and he bowed as he entered. "Would you like anything...a drink, perhaps?" she asked. Katara shook her head. "Leave us then," the Princess ordered, and the man bowed once more, retreating quickly.

"Do you know something, Katara?" Azula said then, turning her attention back to the girl in front of her. "All the times we have met, all the times we have fought, and we've never really talked, have we? We've never even been properly introduced. I must say, you are a very skilled bender...very skilled. Much more so than the Avatar, in Waterbending. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Is the Avatar powerful because of the raw power that he possesses, or is it because he can bend all four elements? Well," she said with another smile, "There will be no answer to that question now." Her eyes kept a steady, unblinking gaze on the Water Tribesgirl. "And your skills at healing must be just as impressive. After all, I was certain that the Avatar was dead, that time, you remember of course...in the forgotten catacombs of Ba Sing Sei. One does not survive a full blast of lightning, even if that one was the Avatar. Zuko told me about the special healing water you kept with you. So tell me, do you perhaps have any more? Or maybe you went back to get some more...to the Northern Water Tribe...the Spirit Oasis, wasn't it?" The Princess sat back in her chair, and regarded the brown skinned girl who just sat before her.

"You seem to be very well informed," Katara said through gritted teeth. Azula was baiting her, taunting her, trying to evoke some reaction. Perhaps she wanted Katara to attack her, here and now, her in the Fire Nation, in the Palace of Fire, and now, now when Katara was here as an envoy of the Earth King.

"I like to keep in touch with things, yes," Azula replied, still leaning back in her seat, a gesture of pure laziness.

"And, of course, you do not agree with the withdrawal of Fire Nation soldiers from the Earth Kingdom territories," Katara said, trying, and almost succeeding, to keep a neutral voice. "Whether I agree or disagree is beside the point. I am not on the throne...my brother is Fire Lord, not me. It will be his decision, in the end." Azula smirked. "I would never think of imposing my will on the Fire Lord, if that is what you mean."

"Why, though?" Katara asked. "Why is it Zuko on the throne, and not you? Surely you have more right than he has...he did betray the Fire Nation, in the end. From what I've heard, you were the favored child." The look on Azula's face was gratifying, the irritation in her eyes, and the Princess sat up, taking her legs off the table and leaning forward. And then, just as quickly as it came, the dark look on her face disappeared, and a mask of cold amusement took its place.

"Becoming Fire Lord...or Fire Lady, was never really in my plans, Katara. Surprising, isn't it, that I did not pursue my claim to the throne. I would have imagined that the fact was of some relief to the Earth King...but, of course, you wouldn't have known...you were back in the South Pole, am I correct? Tell me, Katara...how is your father? And your grandmother? I hope they are in good health? I do hope so, for your sake, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. You see, Katara...I, and my brother...we know the pain of losing someone in the family...We know it very well indeed." The Princess sat back again, and, although she noted that she did not put her feet back on the table top, she could not help but ignore the chill that ran down her spine and sent a coldness into her heart at the way Azula had spoken, nor could she keep from shivering visibly at the Princess' choice of words.

And then, she heard the words that sent another shiver down her spine.

"Ah, Zuko...how nice of you to join us at last."

* * *

"Tell me, do you really need a king?" 

The man sounded amused, and the smile on his face was gently mocking. "A monarchy is the ultimate symbol of unfairness and elitism. It is a way of the old world, my friend...the idea of a monarchy is as ancient as the hills, and just as useless. In this modern times, no one should be be expected to defer to another simply because of their birth. Such a system does not make for a society which is at ease with itself, and it encourages attitudes which are more suited to a bygone age of imperialism than to a modern nation. The whims of one man controlling the means of production, controlling the direction of which an entire nation, with all its citizens, are supposed to go...how can this be fair?

"You need a visible head...someone who can represent the nation to itself and to the world. But a king is not a representative, but a ruler. A ruler, one whose will would drive the nation onward, for good or for ill. No, my friend, there is no need for a king. You do not need a king...not any more. You merely need a government, and a representative of the government. Not a king, but someone who will not claim that long worn out argument of 'the divine right to rule'.

"Grieve not, my friend, for the death of your king is but a stepping stone onwards...no, not a mere step, but an entire leap forward. You have all done well, exceedingly well. You have thrown of the coil around your necks. No longer shall you be the willbearers of one man alone...today, from this day, you shall bear only your own wills forward. You shall rule by committee, where no one man has more power than the rest. You shall have democracy, my friend, where the rule of the people will govern. Sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all who choose to participate, a form of government or constitution in which public and private consciousness, formed through the development of nothing more than logic and law, is alone sufficient to maintain order and guarantee all liberties. In it, as a consequence, the institutions of the monarchy, with its preventive and repressive methods will be abolished."

It was exceedingly simple, he reflected to himself. Remove the one thing they all looked up to, however irrational, or even superficial it was, and they will immediately look to another for leadership, a headless creature in search not as much for a head, but for a brain, a mind, to direct its movements, to make its decisions, to nudge the various organs and appendages around. He smiled to himself at the thought, and moved to the chair in his study. It was dimly lit, but he did not really need that much light anyway.

Someone to tell them what to do now.

He picked up the quill, and dipped it delicately into the bottle of ink. He fumbled a little with the parchment scroll, which had been initially rolled up, and now retained an irritating tendency to, once unfolded, roll back up again. Finally, he managed to pin the bottom end of the sheet with the ink bottle, and, moving his hand carefully so that he did not accidentally spill the bottle unto the paper itself, he moved the quill on the surface, the pointed end scratching loudly on the rough parchment.

_The Earth Kingdom_, he wrote..._has fallen_.

* * *

It was warmer here, she realized, feeling the sweat forming on her forehead even as she stepped off the ship. The dock was far different from the docks that she had seen before on this journey, for before this...before this, she had never even left Ba Sing Sei. This journey, however, had led her to three ports of call, all of them in the Earth Kingdom, and now she was here. 

In the Fire Nation.

Ba Sing Sei was back to normal, or at least, it had seemed to be back to normal. There were less soldiers in the streets now, no more curfews, but the entire atmosphere had changed. Gone were those carefree days with the thoughts of the Fire Nation unable to enter pass the walls of the great city, and gone was the atmosphere of hope under oppression, when the Avatar was still alive, when the remaining forces of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes had launched their attack on the Day of Black Sun. Also gone was the determined resistance when the expected freedom had not come, even with Fire Lord Ozai dead. There was now an air of passive, resigned acceptance, as the people of Ba Sing Sei finally accepted the new order in their lives.

She did not really care either way, about this war, about freedom. All she cared about was...what? Survival? Perhaps. She wanted to live, yes. She wanted to continue life...she wanted to seek out better fortunes. Yes. And that was what had led her here.

It was ironic, in a way, when you looked at it with a slightly cynical view, because irony is only visible to those who are cynics. It was the Fire Nation citizens who migrated to Ba Sing Sei, and the resulting reaction of the citizens of the city, that caused the uprising that had killed so many. And here she was, amongst over a hundred Earth Kingdom people, here, to seek a better life in the Fire Nation.

Ironic, yes.

Very ironic indeed.

She glanced around at the port, finally catching her first glimpse of the people of the Fire Nation in the Fire Nation itself. The docks were busy, constantly mobile, a vast sea of moving bodies scurrying here and there, never ending, perhaps never abating. It was, although she did not know it, one of the busy days, with ships carrying valuable imports from the conquered territories finally arriving, after a long hiatus due to the strict security measures imposed after the would be assassination of Fire Lord Zuko.

_Fire Lord Zuko_.

She could never have imagined that he would rise so high. Oh, she had heard stories, stories of his exile, stories of how he was scarred, and, even then, even as she watched him ride through the streets with the Princess of the Fire Nation, his sister, by his side, surrounded by the soldiers who served as his guards, his retinue...never could she have imagined that he would rise so high in the world.

A part of her was even glad for him.

She had been confused...confused and angry. Furious, even, at his lies, his betrayal. But that was a long time ago, a very long time, and time could heal many things. He had been hiding something, and now she knew the secret that she had sensed within him on that one night when they had been together, eating together, laughing together, walking hand in hand by the fountain...No, it was best not to linger with those memories in mind.

She was mature enough to admit that it had been a mere infatuation, a teenage delight in finding oneself in the company of another. A mere crush, nothing more. She would not seek him out, even if she could. She had other things to do now, more important things to pursue. She had her life ahead of her, and he had his.

She smiled, and raised her hand when her name was called. The foreman ticked something on the piece of paper attached to the board which he held in his hand, a 'clipboard', he called it. He gestured to the right, and she walked in that direction, a smile on her face, an optimistic spring in her step, as she made her way to her future, with the hope in her heart that it would be a better future than what had awaited her in Ba Sing Sei.

Who knew...perhaps one day, she might even be a full citizen of the Fire Nation, if it all went well.

Citizen Jin...she laughed out loud. It even had a funny ring to it.

* * *

"You will excuse me, I'm sure," Azula smiled. "I have been away from the Fire Nation for so long, after all, and I do miss the sights and sounds of the city. Besides, Ty Lee wants to do some shopping." She bowed mockingly to Zuko, who inclined his head, and left. 

She's up to something. That was the first thought that entered his head, and it almost made him smile just as mockingly as his sister had. He had been wondering how exactly he would get her to leave him and the Water Tribe girl alone, and she simply did it for him. She would ask for something in return, well, not so much as ask, but 'expect' something in return, and he would have to agree with it.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Katara bowed, carefully keeping her voice neutral, giving no hint of the anger that she felt for him. He seemed to hesitate, she saw, and then he gestured for her to seat down. She sat, framing her thoughts. She had already decided on what to say, mentally going over the materials given to her by the Earth King and his advisors, the phrases she had painstakingly memorized on the long journey to the Fire Nation, the formulas and the various nuances of the diplomatic language which seemed to turn the common tongue into a different language entirely.

His first words derailed her train of thought completely.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and then hesitated again, as if he was unsure of whether she had heard him, and, if so, whether to repeat himself again. He cleared his throat, and said again, only this time, it was much louder. "I'm sorry."

He reached forward to pull a chair out to sit, and noted that, inexplicably, his palms were sweaty. Nervousness, again rearing its ugly head, and at the worst possible moments as well. The scraping of the chair's legs on the floor seemed particularly loud to him, and he tried his best not to wince.

"You're sorry?" It came out cold now, and he did wince, privately. The look on her face was one of anger, barely controlled, but visible under a mask of neutrality that was slowly coming apart. "Do you really think that a mere apology is going to make it all right again?"

"No, no...I.." he tried to speak, but she cut him off again.

"I thought that maybe, this time, you would have changed, Zuko. When you...you betrayed me, back in Ba Sing Sei...I thought that I would never trust you again. But when your uncle...when you became Fire Lord, I thought that maybe you would change, and I thought that maybe...just maybe, you could put things right again. I thought you would do the right thing this time, and you did not. Instead, you continued this war...you did not withdraw the soldiers from the Earth Kingdom. And you allowed me here into the Fire Nation, and then you embarrass me in front of those people! And now you're sorry? Sorry?"

She does not know of Ba Sing Sei, he realized suddenly. Of course not, you fool! He felt suddenly relieved with that realization, and then felt ashamed for it.

"When you said...when you...after Aang..." the tears were coming now, no matter how hard she was trying to keep them away, and her voice was cracking. But it was to late to stop, to late to bottle up those emotions that had been boiling within her for so long. They came bursting out now, a full flow, a torrent of pain and grief and shock and betrayal, pain and loss, pain and suffering, conveying so much with so little words. "When you said that to me...I thought...I thought that maybe, just maybe, you weren't all that bad. I thought that maybe there really was some good in you. And then, yesterday...you're unbelievable, Zuko. Do you think that by saying sorry...you can change everything? That you can make it better?

Aang died for all of us, Zuko. All of us. He died so that the future would be better. He fought to end this war, he fought for peace, Zuko. Peace! And now...you're destroying everything he's worked for! Everything he's fought for! All the hope that he gave to us, to the people in the Earth Kingdom...to the people back home...all gone, Zuko! Gone! Why? Why do you have to continue this war? People have died, Fire Lord! This war has claimed so much, and still...still you can do nothing but continue it?

How dare you, Fire Lord...how dare you belittle what the Avatar did for all of us!"

"How dare I?" He spoke quietly, coldly, and he felt the rage within him rise once again, rising up to meet her own, hot fire against cold ice. "What did the Avatar do for me, Katara? He killed my father. My father! Have you never thought of that? All you saw was Ozai...Fire Lord Ozai...the ultimate enemy of the Avatar. Well, I saw something different, Katara! Do you want to know what I saw? I saw my father. He was my father...he was my father, before anything else. The Avatar killed my father. How dare you talk of the Avatar here...in the very palace that my father ruled. How dare you profane this place by mentioning the name of his murderer."

"Your father was a murderer, Zuko, and you know it. Your father ordered the attacks on the Earth Kingdom...it was your father who ordered the attacks on the Northern Water Tribe! Aang did the right thing, Zuko! Your father...was nothing more than a mass murderer, a bringer of grief...a plague upon this earth. And you know something, Zuko? I'm happy...I'm happy that Aang killed your father! I'm happy that Ozai is dead!"

"How...dare...you..." he roared, bringing a fist up, the flames forming and rippling in the air as the hand swung upwards, and just as he did that, she whipped out a stream of water from the pouch she had so carefully concealed under her clothes. He saw the Water Whip, and then, unbelievably, to her complete shock and surprise, he smiled.

"So...what are you going to do now, Katara? Are you going to attack me? Are you? Strike, Katara...strike!" He spread his arms, the flames in his fist dying out as he relaxed his hand, the fist turning into an outstretched palm.

"Strike me, Katara, and that will constitute an act of war. War, Katara...war! Strike me down, and you will unleash upon the Earth Kingdom a wave of vengeance like which you not have thought possible. It is one thing for the Avatar to kill the Fire Lord, the people will not demand revenge, because he was the Avatar, after all. But it is quite another thing for an emissary of the Earth King to kill the Fire Lord in the midst of negotiations. So strike, Katara...strike, and you will bring about the war you are trying so hard to avert!" He laughed mockingly, and she felt the temptation to strike, a quick lash, to send the stream of water straight through his neck, to sever his head from his body, to wipe that mocking smile off his face with a stream of red blood.

And then she saw Aang, the last Airbender, the last Avatar. She saw him, suddenly, the look of pain and sadness on his face.

No, Katara...no.

The water splashed on the floor even as she collapsed to her knees, her hands falling uselessly at her sides, the anger, the utter hatred that she had felt a mere moment earlier now just ebbing away, draining the strength from her limbs, draining the rage, sending it away.

"I came here to apologize, Katara. Apologize. And to talk, to perhaps consider your side of the story." He laughed again, and for a moment she thought that she could actually detect some regret...sincere regret...behind the mockery of that laugh. "But it looks like that is not going to happen now, doesn't it?"

He turned on his heels and made for the door, stopping just as he stepped out of the room. "Prepare to leave, _peasant_. You are no longer welcome here. The negotiations are over."

* * *

Author's Note 

Well, well, well...I think that there might have been a fair number of you who were expecting some Zutara in this. So was I, actually, but the last part did not actually come out as I had hoped it would. I mean, it was supposed to be Zuko apologizing, and, if this was your typical Zutara story, she would probably have accepted his apology and then the mushiness will ensue. Or maybe she would have scolded him, ranted about a bit, and he would have quietly listened, and then...well, there's no use pursuing that line of thought, since it did not happen, right? But as I was writing that last part, it struck me...the Avatar killed Zuko's father, and I kinda find it hard to think that Zuko would simply take that lying down. I mean, he probably would in the real Avatar series, but I just don't think that it would be realistic enough. After all, it hasn't been explicitly stated that he hates Ozai...in fact, he wants his father's approval, and is frustrated and confused even when he has it...it being his father's approval, of course. But I don't think he hates his father. Who could really hate their own father, after all? Even the secretary of Adolf Hitler found it hard to hate him, even with all that he did. So, yeah, I think you see what I'm getting at. If you don't, no matter, just send a private message and I shall try to explain it to you. To be honest, I don't really know what just happened myself. I mean, I had a clear idea of what was going to happen...hell, I had even wanted to include a hugging scene in this, or at least a crying scene, and then BANG! I was like..."What the heck???" but it seemed kinda cool so I went with it. LOL.

How did you like Zuko's speech in the beginning? I rather liked it myself. Self praise...must not praise self, haha.

Oh, and Conterra...you wanted Jin to make a random appearance? Well, there you have it!

Nov. 30th, ladies and gentlemen. Soon...soon...the DAY OF BLACK SUN!!! Is it true, though, that the eclipse will only last eight minutes or so? I heard that somewhere...not sure where...someone tell me, please. Thanks.

And thanks for reading!!!!

Au revoir!

๑۩۞۩๑


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